FRIENDS 

IN 

EXILE 


Cownets 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE, 


A  TALE  OF 


DIPLOMACY,  CORONETS  AND  HEARTS. 


BY 

LLOYD    BRYCE, 

Author  of  "Paradise,"   "Tl:e  Romance  of  an  Alter  Ego 
Dream  of  Conquest  "  "Lr.ify  Blanche's  Salon"  etc. 


F.  TENNYSON  NEELY, 

PUBLISHER. 
"4 

FIFTH  AVENUE, 
CHICAGO.  NEW  YORK.        LONDON. 


Copyright,  1899, 

by 
F.  TENNYSON  NKKLY, 

m 
United  States 

and 
Great  Britain. 

All  Rights  Reserved. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER.  PAGE 

J.  Mr.  Jackson  Secures  a  Great  Diplomatic  Plum 1 

It  A  Triumphal  Entry  into  Paris 7 

HI.  The  Advent  of  Mrs.  Asher  the  Divine 10 

IV.  "They  Have   Always   Just  Buried  their  Husbands 

or  Drowned  Them." 17 

V.  The  Vicomte's  Baccarat  System  and  What  It  Led  To . .  87 

VI.  Mrs.  Asher 's  Little  Dinner  and  a  Secretary's  Ambition  33 
VH.  "  Alas!  Her  Beauty  Proved  the  Honey  that  Caught 

the  Fly." 47 

Vm.  The   Marquis    Calls   to   Inquire   into    Mrs.    Asher's 

Antecedents 55 

IX.  Signor  De  Maracovini  and  Mr.  De  Trow  Make  a  Dis 
covery  of  Superlative  Importance 64 

X.  Mrs.  Asher  Captures  the  Faubourg 69 

XL  Mrs.  De  Trow's  Views  on  the  Male  Sex 78 

XIL  Mrs.    De    Trow    Starts   the   Fashion    of    a    Novel 

Entertainment 88 

Xm.  Mr.  Pettigrew    Offers  His  Hand  to  Mrs.  Asher  and 

Graphically  Portrays  the  Ideal  American  Husband    85 
XTV.  Mrs.  De  Trow  Dines  T6te-a-Tete  with  Her  Adorer  at  a 
Paris  Restaurant  and  they  Discourse  on  the  Pope's 

Encyclical 93 

XV.  The  Vicomte  Prepares  His  Own  Petard 105 

XVI.  Mr.  Jackson  Yields  to  Mrs.  Asher's  Persuasions  in  a 

Delicate  Matter 112 

XVH.  The  Ball  of  a  Princess  and  What  Happened 116 

XVHI.  Mrs.  De  Trow  Seeks  the  Protection- of  Her  Ambassador  123 


iv  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER.  PAGE 

XIX.  Mr.  Jackson  Agrees  to  See  the  Prince  on  Mrs.  De 

Trow's  Behalf 187 

XX.  A  Terrifying  Ordeal  for  an  Unattached  Lady 184 

YYT   Mrs    Asher's   Mysterious   Departure    and  the    Odd 

Visitor  to  the  Embassy 139 

YTTT   Mr.   Jackson   Attacked   by  the  Press  Because  of  a 

Woman 146 

XXin.  The  Communist,  the  Vicomte,  and  the  Mad  Musician .  153 

XXIV.  Mrs.  De  Trow  Takes  a  Sudden  Resolution  Anent  the 

Sweet  Communion  of  Souls 164 

XXV.  A  Startling  Encounter  with  the  Police  and  an  Unex 

pected  Arrival  from  Dianapolis,  the  Head  Center 

of  Divorce 175 

XXVI.  Mr  Breeze  Sweeps  Through  Paris 189 

XXVn.  Mrs.  Asher's  Resurrection 201 

XXVm.  Spurned  by  the  Quirinal  You  Have  Still  the  Vatican  . .  209 

XXIX.  The  Suspicions  of  a  Wife 212 

TTY.  A  Woman's  Delicate  Revenge  on  One  of  Her  Own  Sex  219 

XXXI.  Mr.  Pettigrew  at  Last  Gains  a  Clue 226 

XXXII.  The  Temptation  of  Mr.  Jackson 234 

XXXHL  Marriage  as  a  Last  Recourse  for  the  Desperate 257 

XXXIV.  The  Vicomte's  Fall 263 

XXXV.  Mrs.  Asher's  Ruse 267 

XXXVI.  "TheTrue  Woman  Speaks  at  Last." 271 

XXXVH.  The  Carnival  and  the  Writing  on  the  Wall 276 

XXXVm.  " The  Sight  of  Her  Husband's  Face." 282 

XXXIX.  Mr.  De  Trow    Rises  to    the    Occasion  and  Secures 

Mrs.  Asher's  Chef 293 

TT..  Reflections  of  an  American  Diplomat  on  the  Eve  of 

His  Resignation 299 


FRIEIDS  IN  EXILE, 
i. 

MB.    JACKSON    SECURES  A    GREAT  DIPLOMATIC 
PLUM. 

"THEKE'S  no  use  in  taking  it,  Samuel. 
It's  only  a  waste  of  room,"  and  a  matronly 
looking  woman  of  fifty  dubiously  surveyed 
the  choked  condition  of  sundry  trunks  and 
portmanteaus  that  lay  scattered  around 
her. 

"  Put  it  in,  Martha,  put  it  in,"  replied 
her  husband.  "  Old  coats,  like  old  friends, 
are  not  to  be  discarded." 

"  But  you  have  long  been  needing  a  new 
dress  coat,  and  when  you  get  to  Paris,  you 
can  buy  one  of  a  later  cut.  Now  let  me 
take  it  and  give  it  away  to  one  of  my 
pensioners." 

"  Martha,  I've  worn  that  coat  during  the 
best  part  of  my  public  career,  and  what's 
good  enough  for  the  White  House  ought 


2  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

to  be  good  enough  for  foreign  courts,"  and 
a  look  of  resolution,  before  which  his  op 
ponents  had  often  quailed,  softened  to  a 
smile  as  he  added:  "Besides,  I  have  a 
sentiment  for  that  coat,  for  I  wore  it  at  our 
silver  wedding  fully  fifteen  years  ago. 
Under  the  circumstances,  I  should  think 
you  would  be  the  last  to  bid  me  throw  it 
away." 

"Very  well,  then,  Samuel,  that  settles 
the  matter — we  will  take  it,"  and  the  coat 
was  deposited  in  one  of  the  many  port 
manteaus.  A  long  silence  followed,  during 
which  the  lady  continued  the  packing — 
her  husband  the  while  walking  up  and 
down  the  room  with  his  hands  in  his 
trousers'  pockets. 

It  was  a  large,  commodious  apartment 
of  a  large,  commodious  house,  furnished 
with  that  old-time  primness  which  has  an 
attractiveness  quite  its  own.  All  spoke  of 
comfort;  the  huge  four-poster  bedstead 
and  the  mahogany  chest  of  drawers  and 
wardrobes ;  while  the  exquisite  tidiness 
everywhere  gave  evidence  of  the  house 
wifely  qualities  of  the  mistress.  For  Mr. 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  3 

Jackson  was  fortunate  both  in  his  marriage 
and  in  his  career.  As  a  lawyer  he  had 
reached  the  bench  by  thirty-seven,  he  had 
served  several  terms  in  both  houses  of  Con 
gress,  and  finally,  the  ambassador  to  France, 
passing  to  an  equally  pleasant  post,  let  us 
hope,  in  another  world,  Mr.  Jackson  had 
been  given  the  vacant  place. 

Here,  however,  he  was  to  encounter  con 
ditions  for  which  with  all  his  success  he 
was  little  prepared.  The  world  of  fashion, 
of  art,  of  literature,  as  well  as  of  French 
politics,  in  short  the  great  world  of  Paris, 
were  to  him  as  a  sealed  book.  Yet  his 
qualms  less  concerned  the  future  than  the 
past. 

Pausing  in  his  restless  walk,  he  resumed: 
"  The  way  things  have  turned  out,  I  have 
but  one  cause  of  irritation,  Martha,  and 
that's  the  noise  the  papers  are  making 
over  a  speech  I  made  two  years  ago  in  the 
senate." 

"  What  was  it  you  said,  Samuel  ? " 

"Well,  more  than  I  intended.  It  was 
over  the  debate  about  these  very  embas 
sies.  I  alluded  to  them  with  contempt, 


4  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

advocated  republican  simplicity,  ridiculed 
any  aping  of  European  forms  and  cere 
monies,  and  further,  I  closed  with  an 
amendment  to  abolish  the  whole  diplo 
matic  service." 

"  It's  certainly  very  awkward,  Samuel." 
your  having  made  such  a  speech." 

"  And  I  cannot  help  asking  myself,"  con 
tinued  the  gentleman, "  how  I  am  to  satisfy 
my  conscience  in  accepting  this  post  after 
saying  what  I  did  ?  " 

"  But  why  did  you  not  think  of  that 
speech  when  you  allowed  your  name  to  be 
urged  for  the  appointment  ? " 

"The  fact  is,  I  had  quite  forgotten  it, 
though  now  it  rises  up,  like  a  ghost,  to  cast 
an  imputation  on  my  sincerity." 

"  I  imagine  your  reputation  for  sincerity 
is  proof  against  what  the  press  can  say; 
besides,  the  more  one  set  of  papers  attacks 
you,  the  more  the  other  will  rally  to 
your  support." 

"Oh,  it's  not  that  they're  not  rallying 
to  my  support — quite  the  contrary ;  it's 
whether,  with  this  speech  in  my  mind,  I 
deserve  all  the  encomiums  they're  lavishing 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  5 

upon  me.  That's  my  dilemma.  Indeed,  I 
really  think  that  speech  has  popularized 
me  enormously  with  the  country  at  large." 

"If  that  be  the  case,  I  would  let  the 
matter  stand  as  an  oft'set  to  the  number  of 
times  you've  been  misrepresented  by  the 
press." 

Her  husband  seemed  relieved. 

"  That's  the  way  I  argue  myself,"  he 
replied.  "  At  all  events,  it's  too  late  to 
worry  over  it  now,  and  I  have  this  to  con 
sole  me,  that  one  of  my  speeches  at  least 
lias  been  unearthed  from  the  Record — 
that  repository  of  defunct  utterances,  and 
which  for  oblivion,  it  is  said,  outrivals 
the  fly-leaf  of  a  hotel  Bible." 

Judge  Jackson's  intimation  as  to  the 
approval  of  the  country  at  his  appoint 
ment  was  not  exaggerated.  Deep  down  in 
the  people's  heart  was  a  feeling — if  not 
voiced,  yet  strong  all  the  same — that  these 
great  diplomatic  positions  had  been  too 
long  held  as  the  peculiar  belonging  of  a 
select  few ;  and  that  however  great  might 
have  been  the  abilities,  and  however  dis 
tinguished  the  services  of  his  predecessors, 


6  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

a  departure  ought  to  be  made  by  giving  to 
a  man  distinctly  in  touch  with  the  masses 
an  occasional  chance  of  filling  such  a  posi 
tion.  Judge  Jackson,  in  spite  of  a  hand 
some  fortune,  a  large  house,  and  a  liberal 
hospitality,  happened,  for  the  moment,  to 
meet  this  conception.  No  one  could  aver 
that  his  successes  in  life  had  affected  the 
natural  simplicity  of  his  manner,  his  innate 
kindliness,  or  his  quaint  humor ;  but,  with 
out  any  other  claim  to  being  distinctly 
one  of  the  people  than  a  speech  he  now 
repented  making,  he  suddenly  found  him 
self  a  popular  hero.  Nor  was  anyone 
more  surprised  than  he  at  the  peculiar 
character  of  the  discussion  elicited  by 
his  appointment;  but,  being  a  prudent 
man,  he  confided  his  doubts  only  to  his 
wife,  and  these  satisfied,  repaired  to  his 
post  with  a  promptness  which  might  have 
argued  a  determination  of  reaching  it 
before  a  turn  in  the  public  sentiment 
could  come. 


II. 

A   TRIUMPHAL   ENTRY   INTO   PARIS. 

"  PARIS  !  Paris  !  Paris  !  Tout  le  monde 
descend  de  voiture,"  shouted  the  railroad 
guard,  opening  wide  the  door  of  the  Calais- 
Douvre  train,  on  its  arrival  at  its  terminus 
one  morning.  Among  the  passengers  who 
obeyed  this  summons  were  our  new  repre 
sentative  and  his  wife. 

What  a  revelation  that  first  glimpse  of 
Paris  is  to  the  stranger  !  What  a  world  it 
seems  with  its  orderly  rush  and  bustle — 
with  its  air  of  luxury  and  the  conspicuous 
absence  of  the  commercial  element.  Then 
its  cleanliness  and  its  beauty,  too  !  Why; 
the  very  trees  look  as  if  they  were  combed 
and  brushed  each  morning.  All  here 
seems  ordered  so  as  to  make  life  a  pleasure, 
and  that  grim  puritanism  which  faces  every 
innocent  joy  with  a  forbidding  "Thou 
Shalt  Not"  is  consigned  to  a  deserved 
Coventry. 

These    reflections    passed    through  the 


8  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

mind  of  Mr.  Jackson,  while  seated  on  the 
top  of  a  hotel  omnibus  where,  to  the  secret 
chagrin  of  the  secretary  of  the  embassy, 
he  had  insisted  on  climbing  ;  for  this  offi 
cial  had  come  to  meet  his  new  chief  at  the 
station,  and  was  occupying  the  interior 
with  Mrs.  Jackson. 

A  word  as  to  Mr.  Pettigrew.  The  secret 
spring  of  the  secretary's  every  action  was 
pride  in  the  American  Embassy.  Per 
haps  he  was  a  formalist — perhaps  a  stickler 
for  etiquette,  but  to  maintain  the  dignity 
of  the  embassy  in  the  eyes  of  the  European 
world,  if  not  to  have  it  outshine  all  other 
embassies  and  legations,  was  the  object  of 
his  life. 

To  the  attainment  of  this  end,  as  it 
will  be  seen  later  on,  there  was  no  sacri 
fice  which  he  was  not  willing  to  make. 

Mr.  Pettigrew  had  already  broken  in 
several  superiors  at  other  posts  and 
recognizing  the  importance  of  early 
acquiring  the  good  will  of  Mr.  Jackson, 
he  made  quick  to  meet  him  at  the  station. 
Moreover,  he  collected  his  luggage, 
saw  that  it  was  duly  consigned  to  the 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  9 

temporary  quarters  selected  for  the  new 
comers,  and  further  made  himself  as 
agreeable  and  affable  as  lay  in  his 
power.  Yet  our  envoy  failed  to  do  jus 
tice  to  the  motives  of  his  subordinate. 
There  seemed  an  artificiality  about  his 
politeness,  as  if  it  did  not  emanate  from 
the  heart.  He  disliked,  too,  the  cut  of  his 
whiskers,  the  way  they  were  brushed  for 
ward,  and  particularly  did  he  dislike  the 
little  mustache  and  imperial  that  orna 
mented  his  upper  and  lower  lips.  Until 
now,  he  could  scarcely  have  imagined  that 
such  trivial  matters  could  affect  him  so 
disagreeably.  Besides,  he  thought  he 
detected  in  his  very  deference  an  air  of 
patronage,  almost  of  condescension,  that 
seemed  to  say,  "Behold  in  me  the  per 
fect  diplomat;  put  yourself  in  my  hands 
and  I  will  in  time  turn  you  out  like  me." 
Mr.  Pettigrew  must  be  taken  down  at 
once,  and  to  confess  the  truth,  Mr.  Jack 
son's  purpose  in  mounting  to  the  box  was 
as  much  to  mark  his  sense  of  independence 
as  to  obtain  the  favorable  view  of  the  city 
which  that  position  afforded. 


III. 

THE   ADVENT    OF   MR8.     ASHER   THE    DIVINE. 

IT  is  the  delightful  hour  of  half  after  five, 
when  the  prospect  of  an  eight  o'clock  din 
ner  just  begins  to  gladden  the  atmosphere, 
and  tea  as  an  interlude  comes  to  soothe  the 
weary  march  of  time. 

Imagine  an  apartment,  small,  to  be  sure, 
but  crowded  both  with  people  and  bric- 
a-brac.  On  a  divan,  like  a  queen  sur 
rounded  by  her  satellites,  reclines  the  host 
ess,  and — an  occurrence  so  rare  that  it 
deserves  special  mention — her  husband  has 
the  floor ;  for,  as  a  general  rule,  Mr.  de  Trow 
is  kept  in  the  background  by  his  wife. 

"  But  it  is  true,  quite  true,"  he  was  say. 
ing.  "  You  could  have  knocked  me  down 
with  a  feather."  Then  for  the  third  time 
he  described  the  entrance  of  Mr.  Jackson 
on  the  box  of  the  omnibus.  "  You  see,  I 
happened  to  be  down  near  the  station  as  the 
party  were  driving  away ;  but,  though  Pet- 
tigrew  had  told  me  that  he  was  expecting 
10 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  11 

his  new  chief,  I  could  never  have  realized 
that  he  would  be  on  the  outside  of  a  hotel 
omnibus." 

"  Why  not  ?  I  always  sit  there  when  I 
get  the  chance,"  said  a  tall  young  English 
diplomat.  "  Much  more  comfortable  than 
inside  with  one's  wife." 

"  Do  you  really  take  that  view  of  it  ? " 
inquired  Mr.  de  Trow.  "  Well,  perhaps 
you're  right  after  all ;  only  it  struck  me  as  a 
little  odd." 

"  What  was  his  wife  like  ? "  inquired  a 
bright-eyed  little  woman,  whose  bird-like 
appearance  was  enhanced  by  a  scarf  of 
feathers  about  her  neck. 

"  To  judge  from  the  glimpse  I  had  of  her, 
she  seemed  a  rather  handsome  woman," 
admitted  Mr.  de  Trow,  "  quiet  and  dignified- 
looking." 

"  I  hope  they  will  prove  people  of  the 
world,  like  our  last  ambassador  and  his 
wife,"  murmured  Mrs.  de  Trow.  "  That  is 
the  first  essential." 

"I  don't  see  why  they  didn't  appoint 
Pettigrew,"  said  Mr.  de  Trow.  "  In  niy 
opinion  he  would  make  an  ideal " 


12  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

The  conversation  was  interrupted  by  the 
entrance  of  a  dark-bearded  young  man. 
"  But  I've  found  her,"  he  exclaimed  impul 
sively,  "IVe  found  her  at  last.  Congratu 
late  me,  ladies,"  and  he  advanced  and  kissed 
Mrs.  de  Trow's  hand. 

"  Who  is  it  that  you  have  found  ?  "  asked 
Mrs.  de  Trow,  with  languid  interest. 

"  Why,  she  of  whom  I  have  so  frequently 
spoken  to  you  all  lately.  She  is  a  com 
patriot  of  yours,"  and  the  new  arrival,  who, 
because  he  came  from  Sardinia,  was  known 
to  the  English-speaking  colony  as  Sardines, 
took  his  seat  on  the  divan  alongside  of  the 
hostess. 

"  But  we  have  so  many  compatriots 
here,"  complained  Mrs.  de  Trow.  "  What 
might  her  name  be  ?  I  suppose  she  rejoices 


in  one." 


"  Ah !  her  name — didble  ! — your  English 
names — Ashere — Ashard — It  is  like  that. 
But  she  is  divine,  and  she  has  wealth ;  she 
owns  the  gold  mines  of  the  Rocky  Moun 
tains,  ten  thousand  slaves,  too,  of  the  African 
race,  all  in  her  own  right." 

"  But  you  have  abolished  negro  slavery, 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  13 

haven't  you,  to  make  yourselves  the  slaves 
of  the  Irish  ? "  laughed  the  English  diplo 
mat,  as  he  turned  to  the  hostess.  "  At 
least  they  seemed  to  run  all  your  towns 
and  legislatures  when  I  was  in  the  States." 

"Yes;  we  adopted  the  Irish  when  we 
turned  the  English  out,"  replied  Mrs.  de 
Trow  tartly,  "  and,  on  the  whole,  I  think 
we  have  benefited  by  the  change." 

"  Bravo  ! "  laughed  the  Britisher  good- 
humoredly ;  "  but  I  must  admit  you  atone 
for  your  severity  to  us  in  the  past  by  your 
hospitality  to  us  now.  Never  had  such  a 
good  time  in  my  life  as  a  month  I  once 
passed  at  Newport." 

"  Ah !  Newpore — Newpore — Newpore 
is  divine ! "  exclaimed  the  exuberant  Sar 
dinian.  "  At  Newpore  one  dreams  ! " 

"  I  should  say,  rather,  one  dines,"  replied 
the  Englishman.  "  More  dinners  in  a  week 
than  during  the  whole  London  season. 
By  the  way,  though,  Sardines,  this  mythi 
cal  lady  you  were  telling  us  about — is  she 
a  widow  ? " 

"She  dresses  in  black,  and  seems  to 
mourn,"  said  the  Sardinian  plaintively. 


14  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

"  That  settles  it,"  was  the  Englishman's 
stolid  reply.  "But  one  more  question — 
was  it  at  Newport  that  you  first  met  her  ? " 

"  No,  it  was  at  Nice.  She  had  just  re 
turned  from  a  trip  up  the  Nile.  Now  she 
has  come  to  inhabit  Paris." 

"  The  question,  therefore,  is  whether  she 
is  respectable,"  put  in  an  American  duch 
ess. 

"Or  visitable,"  put  in  an  American 
princess. 

"  Ah,  yes,  that  is  the  question,"  replied 
an  American  countess ;  and  the  conversa 
tion  drifted  off  as  conversations  do,  yet 
always  kept  returning  to  the  female  Monte 
Cristo. 

It  argues  a  certain  gift  in  a  person  that  she 
becomes  the  subject  of  this  kind  of  interest. 
If  you  doubt  the  assertion,  observe  your 
own  circle  of  acquaintance;  notice  how 
many  are  striving  after  such  recognition, 
and  how  few  succeed.  Yes,  it  requires 
talent  to  become  the  talk  even  of  a  smaD 
place ;  but  to  become  the  talk  of  Paris 
requires  genius.  Recent  as  had  been  her 
advent  here,  Mrs.  Asher  was  on  the  edge 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  15 

of  this  distinction.  She  was  just  begin 
ning  to  be  talked  about ;  and,  inasmuch  as 
everything  about  her  was  exaggerated, 
the  beginning  might  be  called  auspicious. 
Curiosity  was  titillated,  too,  by  the  fact 
that  as  yet  no  one  could  tell  whether  she 
was  not  an  adventuress  of  a  higher  order. 

"  But  I  assure  you  she  is  of  great  consid 
eration  in  her  own  land,"  continued  the 
Sardinian,  "  and  I  predict  that  you  will  not 
only  be  meeting  her  before  long  in  the 
world,  but  that  you  will  all  be  crowding 
her  salon." 

"  When  that  day  comes  I  hope  you  will 
get  your  reward.  Your  claque  will  have 
largely  assisted  her,"  said  Mrs.  de  Trow  as 
she  turned  coldly  away  from  the  speaker. 
For  while  her  cuiiosity  was  keen  about  this 
woman,  she  resented  Signor  de  Maracovini's 
interest  in  her,  as  she  considered  the  young 
man  her  own  private  property.  Moreover, 
she  resented  the  fact  of  any  woman's  com 
ing  to  Paris  to  dispute  her  own  supremacy. 
For  Mrs.  de  Trow  enjoyed  a  unique  posi 
tion,  largely  because  of  the  originality  of 
her  conduct  and  the  absence  of  anything 


16  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

like  reticence  in  her  conversation.  Besides, 
she  cultivated  a  r61e  that  kept  the  male 
sex,  and  particularly  the  diplomatic  corps, 
in  a  continual  state  of  ferment.  She 
talked  of  the  communion  of  two  spirits, 
the  romance  of  the  soul,  the  glory  of  a 
grand  passion;  and,  though  many  had 
learned  that  her  professions  on  these  tender 
topics  were  purely  theoretical,  they  still 
continued  their  allegiance;  for  desertion 
after  a  certain  period  of  devotion  is  a  con 
fession  of  failure  which  man's  pride  is  not 
always  willing  to  make. 

On  Signor  de  Maracovini,  the  suspicion 
was  gradually  beginning  to  dawn  that  she 
was  trifling  with  him ;  but,  being  the  lat 
est  and  freshest  addition  to  the  corps, 
he  could  not  submit  as  tamely  as  the  rest ; 
and,  if  it  must  be  acknowledged,  in  his  open 
admiration  for  this  mysterious  Mrs.  Asher 
he  was  simply  carrying  out  the  policy  of 
playing  one  woman  against  another,  and  of 
showing  that,  should  the  object  of  his 
devotion  continue  unappreciative,  he  knew 
where  to  seek  consolation. 


IV. 

"THEY  HAVE  ALWAYS  JUST  BURIED  THEIR 
HUSBANDS  OR  DROWNED  THEM." 

PENDING  his  official  reception  by  the 
head  of  the  French  government,  which  the 
minister  of  foreign  affairs  had  intimated 
would  occur  in  a  day  or  so,  the  judge 
repaired  next  morning  bright  and  early 
to  the  embassy.  Here  he  was  met  by 
Mr.  Pettigrew;  and,  after  a  brief  survey 
of  the  apartment,  which  consisted  of  an 
ante-chamber  and  several  rooms,  and  an 
equally  cursory  initiation  into  the  daily 
routine  of  business,  he  dismissed  his  secre 
tary  as  an  escort  to  Mrs.  Jackson,  who  was 
anxious  to  purchase  a  guide  book  of  Paris. 

Thus  Mr.  Jackson  was  left  alone  with 
his  letters,  of  which  he  found  a  large 
accumulation.  Applications  for  one  or 
other  of  the  secretaryships  largely  pre 
dominated.  These  numbered  nearly  two 
hundred.  They  came  from  every  corner 
of  Europe  whither  our  itinerant  country 
men  had  wandered,  and,  it  is  needless  to 
17 


18  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

say,  from  every  part  of  America — one 
being  actually  from  a  lady  in  Iowa,  who 
urged  her  appointment  on  the  score  of  the 
impetus  it  would  give  to  the  female  suf 
frage  movement  in  her  own  State.  These 
letters  Mr.  Pettigrew  had  pigeon-holed  as 
non-important. 

Next  in  order  were  requests  for  presenta 
tion  at  the  different  courts  in  Europe ;  or, 
more  properly  speaking,  for  letters  of  intro 
duction  to  other  representatives  with  a 
view  to  that  happy  result.  In  the  average 
traveler's  opinion,  the  principal  function  of 
his  minister  is  to  place  him  on  pleasant  and 
easy  terms  of  familiarity  with  the  crowned 
heads  of  Europe. 

Then  there  were  letters  seeking  infor 
mation  on  the  cost  of  living  in  Paris,  the 
price  of  apartments,  the  best  and  cheapest 
shops — one  writer  going  so  far  as  to  request 
the  ambassador  to  meet  his  baggage  on  a 
specified  day  at  the  station,  and  to  hold  it 
at  the  embassy  till  called  for. 

Yet  another  class  of  missives  prayed  him 
to  investigate  and  report  upon  the  financial 
condition  of  this  American  lady,  or  of  that. 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  19 

Such  appeals  were,  for  the  most  part,  from 
impecunious  Frenchmen. 

Now,  our  envoy  when  in  Congress  had 
had  a  special  knack  in  disposing  of  his  cor 
respondence.  It  might  be  said  that  his 
success  in  public  life  had  been  in  no  slight 
degree  furthered  by  the  attention  he  gave 
to  his  letters.  He  always  answered  them 
in  his  own  hand,  and  was  never  too  busy 
to  answer  them  promptly.  But  there  was 
much  in  his  present  correspondence  that 
baffled  him.  Nor  did  the  room  or  its  con 
tents  furnish  any  inspiration.  Though  we 
have  raised  our  ministers  to  ambassadors 
we  have  made  no  corresponding  change  in 
their  official  abodes.  These  are  marked  by 
the  same  stern  simplicity  as  of  yore.  Con 
sular  reports  filled  the  bookcase  of  the  room 
in  which  Mr.  Jackson  sat.  On  the  walls  an 
engraving  of  Mr.  Lincoln  looked  sadly  at 
Mr.  Hayes.  A  pair  of  crossed  American 
flags  were  gracefully  held  in  position  over 
Mr.  Jackson's  desk  by  a  brass  eagle,  while  in 
a  far  corner  a  red  ice-water  cooler  suggested 
thoughts  of  home.  Yet  none  of  these 
helped  Mr.  Jackson  with  his  letters. 


20  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

You  ask,  why  had  lie  not  kept  his  secre- 
retary  by  him  instead  of  sending  him  off 
with  Mrs.  Jackson  ?  An  ambassador 
wishes  to  show  his  independence  of  his 
secretary  during  the  first  few  days  of  his 
career.  Afterward  he  becomes  wiser. 

The  day  was  warm — a  lovely  spring 
morning,  soft  and  balmy,  with  that  trans 
lucent  brightness  peculiar  to  Paris.  The 
window  was  slightly  open,  and  through 
the  aperture  came  the  roar  of  the  great 
city.  Somehow  a  vague  feeling  of  loneli 
ness  stole  over  him.  Presently  there  was 
a  ring  at  the  bell  outside  on  the  landing, 
followed  in  due  course  by  a  knock  at  the 
door  and  the  entrance  of  the  chief  clerk  of 
the  embassy. 

"  Monsieur  1'Ambassadeur,"  observed  the 
clerk,  "a  lady  desires  to  see  your  excel 
lency." 

"Pray  admit  her,  Monsieur  Antel,  and 
have  the  kindness  to  leave  the  door  open." 

It  was  the  invariable  habit  of  our  repre 
sentative  never  to  be  closeted  with  any 
stranger  of  the  opposite  sex.  The  abrupt 
collapse  in  the  political  careers  of  two  of 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  21 

his  personal  friends  dated  from  their  neg 
lect  of  a  similar  caution. 

A  lady  in  mourning,  and  deeply  veiled, 
entered.  She  was  of  a  slight  figure,  with  a 
profusion  of  golden  hair  showing  beneath 
her  bonnet. 

Mr.  Jackson  rose  as  the  visitor  advanced. 

"I  wish  to  see  the  new  American 
ambassador,"  she  said. 

Mr.  Jackson  bowed.  "Yours  to  com 
mand,  madam,"  he  replied  with  old-time 
courtesy. 

The  lady  took  a  seat.  What  an  art  it  is 
to  do  so  gracefully !  Some  women  fall 
upon  a  chair  as  if  it  were  an  enemy  to  be 
vanquished ;  others  sidle  into  it  as  if  they 
were  breaking  a  commandment,  and  wished 
to  do  it  surreptitiously.  The  visitor 
dropped  into  hers  as  if  she  were  a  leaf 
that  fell  from  heaven. 

When  she  raised  her  veil  she  displayed  a 
pale,  delicate  beauty  that  was  almost  girlish. 
There  was  a  shrinking,  uncertain  air  about 
her,  and  her  eyes  had  a  dreamy  expression 
as  they  wandered  toward  the  window. 
Suddenly  they  seemed  to  fill  with  tears, 


22  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

and  she  pressed  her  handkerchief  to  her 
brow. 

The  judge  was  on  his  guard  in  a  minute. 
The  meetings  that  had  broken  his  friends' 
careers  had  both  begun  by  a  woman  burst 
ing  into  tears. 

"  Monsieur  Antel,"  discreetly  called  the 
envoy  to  the  clerk,  "  please  bring  the  lady 
a  glass  of  ice  water."  She  took  it  grate 
fully,  and  it  seemed  to  restore  her. 

"Oh,  pardon  my  giving  way,  sir,"  she 
exclaimed;  "but  I  have  gone  through  so 
much  lately.  You  must  forgive  me,  too, 
for  intruding  on  your  privacy  so  soon  after 
your  arrival.  But  I  was  so  lonely.  I  felt 
so  helpless,  too,  in  this  great,  cruel  capital, 
after  my  sad  affliction." 

"  And  you  are  in  trouble  ? "  inquired  the 
ambassador  cautiously. 

"I  lost  my  husband,  barely  six  weeks 
ago,  in  Egypt.  He  was  buried  far  away 
from  friends  and  kin." 

"  Gredin  !  "  muttered  M.  Antel,  from  be 
hind  the  door,  "they  have  always  just 
buried  their  husbands — or  drowned  them." 

"I    am    extremely    sorry    to    hear    it, 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  23 

madam,"  replied  Mr.  Jackson  sympathet^ 
ically.  "  Might  I  inquire  the  nature  of  hid 
complaint  ? " 

"  Oh,  sir,  I  suppose  I  must  inform  you. 
He  had  lately  come  into  possession  of  a 
considerable  fortune.  It  turned  his  head. 
His  entire  nature  changed.  From  being 
kind  and  considerate  he  grew  cruel  and 
intemperate.  He  proved  faithless  to  me, 
too,  and  ended  in  a  drunkard's  grave." 

There  is  nothing  that  appeals  to  a  true 
American  heart,  and  especially  to  a  man  of 
Mr.  Jackson's  age,  like  a  charge  by  a  pretty 
woman  against  another  man,  though  it 
be  her  husband.  The  ambassador  was 
affected  at  last. 

"  You  are  highly  wrought  up,  my  young 
madam.  What  did  you  say  the  name 
was?" 

"  Asher — Mrs.  Henry  Asher." 

"  Henry  Asher ! "  ejaculated  Mr.  Jackson 
in  unfeigned  surprise.  "  Surely  your  hus 
band  was  no  relation  to  my  young  protege, 
Henry  Asher,  whom  I  got  appointed  to 
West  Point?" 

"  The  same,  sir." 


24  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

"The  same?  Well,  well,  well!  Poor 
Henry  !  I  never  knew  he  was  even  married, 
much  less  dead.  He  was  the  most  promis 
ing  youth  in  the  public  schools  of  Dianap- 
olis.  But  why  did  you  not  mention  your 
name  to  me  at  first  ? " 

"It  seemed  like  trying  to  establish  a 
claim  to  your  consideration  on  too  slender 
grounds,"  was  the  reply ;  "  at  least,  before 
informing  you  of  his  career.  I  thought  you 
might  not  approve  of  his  entering  foreign 
service ;  for,  after  attaining  the  rank  of  cap 
tain  in  our  army,  he  accepted  a  commission 
from  the  Khedive.  That  is  how  he  came 
to  die  away  from  home ;  but  the  Egyptian 
phase  of  his  life  I  do  not  care  to  dwell  on ; 
it  is  too  sad,  too  sad." 

"I  was  not  aware  of  his  leaving  our 
army,"  said  Mr.  Jackson.  "  You  see,  I  have 
lost  sight  of  him  for  the  last  ten  years  or 
so.  But  how  did  he  acquire  his  fortune  ? 
I  should  hardly  conceive  that  campaigning 
in  Egypt  afforded  many  opportunities  for 
growing  rich." 

"Ah,  that  is  the  question,"  again  mut 
tered  M.  Antel  from  his  retreat. 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  25 

"Assuredly  the  situation  is  becoming 
interesting." 

"  He  inherited  his  fortune  from  a  distant 
connection,"  answered  the  lady  vaguely. 
"  If  he  had  only  taken  my  advice  and  re 
signed,  he  might  be  alive  even  now.  But 
he  was  wedded  to  the  country — enjoyed  the 
climate  and  the  opportunity  his  wealth  gave 
him  for  indulgence  in  his  dissipations.  Oh, 
sir !  is  it  right  for  me  to  retain  this  fortune 
which  proved  his  ruin  ?  "  she  ran  on.  "  Is 
it  even  right  for  me  to  wear  these  black 
robes  for  a  man  I  had  ceased  to  respect  ? 
Is  it  not  a  lie,  sir,  that  I  am  holding  out  to 
the  world?" 

"  Then  remove  the  black  robes,  my  dear 
young  friend — I  mean,  substitute  for  them 
a  gayer  apparel,"  said  the  judge. 

"  Oh,  thank  you,  sir,  thank  you  ! "  she 
ejaculated. 

"Yes,"  continued  he  oracularly,  "since 
you  ask  my  advice,  I  would  suggest  that 
you  retain  the  fortune  and  discard  the 
weeds.  You  see,  this  course  has  the  merit 
of  allowing  of  reconsideration,  which  the 
other  would  not," 


26  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

"You  do  not  know  what  comfort  you 
have  given  me,"  replied  the  lady,  with  deep 
emotion.  "  Ever  since  I  came  here,  I  have 
been  torturing  myself  to  decide  what  I 
ought  to  do.  When  I  heard  of  your 
arrival,  I  could  not  withstand  the  tempta 
tion  of  coming  to  learn  whether  the  widow 
of  your  old  friend,  who  had  so  inadequately 
repaid  your  kindness,  could  have  any  claim 
on  your  consideration." 

The  ambassador  was  strangely  touched. 
At  this  moment  the  sound  of  steps  in  the 
corridor  was  followed  by  the  appearance  of 
Mr.  Pettigrew  and  Mrs.  Jackson. 

"  Madam,"  exclaimed  the  judge,  turning 
to  his  wife,  "  I  have  a  little  surprise  for 
you  which  I  think  will  prove  an  agreeable 
one.  Allow  me  to  present  to  you  the 
widow  of  Henry  Asher.  She's  alone  in 
Paris,  and  I  am  sure  will  appreciate  your 
friendship." 

An  unspoken  objection  in  Mr.  Petti- 
grew's  face  urged  on  the  envoy.  "  Perhaps 
you  might  induce  her  to  dine  with  us  this 
evening.  We're  all  strangers  alike,  and  she 
will  help  to  cheer  us  up." 


V. 


THE  VICOMTE'S  BACCAKAT  SYSTEM  AND  WHAT 
IT  LED  TO. 


AMONG  the  young  men  that  floated  from 
one  drawing  room  to  another  of  the  gay 
Paris  world,  was  a  rather  handsome  French 
man,  with  a  jerky  manner,  curly  hair,  and  a 
mustache  with  two  little  waxed-up  points. 
He,  too,  enjoyed  the  reputation  of  being 
talked  about,  and  was  envied  accordingly. 
Indeed,  I  might  say  that  he  was  among  the 
most  envied  of  all  the  young  men  of  his  day. 
For  bad  not  the  celebrated  actress  Ariane 
de  1'Eufer  allowed  him  the  privilege  of  half 
ruining  himself  on  her  account?  Again, 
because  of  his  attentions  to  the  wife  of  a 
wealthy  banker,  the  unhappy  husband  was 
supposed  to  have  committed  suicide  by 
hurling  himself  under  the  wheels  of  a  Paris 
omnibus,  though  his  fall  was  due  to 
stepping  on  an  orange  peel.  Among  his 
lesser  claims  to  fame  were  a  couple  of  wide 
ly  advertised  duels;  he  got  his  boots  from 
Thomas;  and  while  vehemently  upholding 
the  Catholic  religion,  skeptically  maintained 


28  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

that  Pio  Nono  was  less  divinely  inspired 
than  Worth. 

These  varied  distinctions,  qualifications, 
and  modes  of  thought,  coupled  with  an 
erect  bearing  and  ancient  lineage,  formed 
in  the  person  of  the  Vicomte  de  Dindon  a 
combination  that,  in  the  slang  of  the  capi 
tal,  is  recognized  as  the  dernier  ornement 
de  la  gortime. 

Ruskin  has  epigrammatically  observed 
that  the  most  marked  features  of  modern 
fashionable  life  are  occupation  without 
object  and  indolence  without  repose.  Of 
the  truth  of  this  saying  the  vicomte  offered 
a  striking  illustration,  although  a  feverish 
craving  for  excitement,  which  at  times 
possessed  him,  was  regarded  by  many  as 
the  restlessness  of  an  ambition  that  could 
find  no  outlet,  and  the  indolence  superven 
ing  as  the  natural  result  of  realizing  the 
futility  of  any  effort,  however  well  directed. 
For  alas!  belonging  to  the  well-known 
family  of  La  Vieille  Roche,  what  prospects, 
they  asked,  could  the  republic  extend  to 
him  ?  Indeed,  save  with  a  few  Americans, 
such  as  Mrs.  de  Trow,  who  was  a  firm 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  29 

believer  in  the  divine  right  of  kings,  the 
Legitimist  party  had  little  influence  left. 

As  it  happened,  the  vicomte  had  been 
in  Mrs.  de  Trow's  drawing  room  on  that 
afternoon  when  we  first  introduced  her  to 
our  readers.  Never  had  the  aimlessness  of 
his  life  as  a  frequenter  of  that  salon,  or  as 
a  member  of  society  generally,  obtruded 
itself  upon  him  so  forcibly ;  he  was,  more 
over,  irritated  at  the  prominent  part  played 
in  the  conversation  by  the  Sardinian,  whom 
he  loathed.  On  leaving  the  house,  he 
directed  his  curricle  to  the  Bois,  took  a  turn 
around  the  lake,  stopped  on  the  bank, 
and  instead  of  looking  at  the  throngs  of 
equipages  and  their  well-dressed  occu 
pants,  actually  turned  his  back  on  them 
all,  and  looked  at  the  swans,  the  ducks, 
and  the  drakes.  Then  he  drove  back 
to  Paris,  holding  his  reins  very  high  till 
his  hands  almost  touched  his  chin,  accord 
ing  to  the  approved  manner  of  driv 
ing  among  young  Frenchmen.  Having 
no  engagement  for  dinner,  he  dined  at 
a  cafe.  How  a  young  man  passes  the 
evening  in  Paris  will  not  always  bear 


30  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

scrutiny.  In  the  case  of  the  vicomte,  he 
merely  went  to  the  theater,  repairing  after 
ward  to  the  Cercle  de  Jeu. 

While  a  frequent  player,  the  vicomte 
had  never  been  a  high  one.  To-night, 
however,  he  felt  more  than  usually  restless ; 
and,  with  his  craving  for  excitement,  came 
a  strange  prophetic  instinct  that  he  was 
going  to  win.  He  lost  upwards  of  a  thou 
sand  louis.  He  left  shortly  after  midnight, 
and,  as  he  walked  homeward,  he  reviewed 
the  situation.  The  impulse  that  had  urged 
him  to  play  higher  than  his  wont  was  the 
pronounced  conviction  that  he  was  on  the 
eve  of  great  winnings.  How  odd  that  he 
should  have  lost ! 

His  father's  private  hotel,  in  which  he 
himself  occupied  a  bachelor's  suite,  was 
situated  in  one  of  the  streets  leading  oft'  the 
quays.  It  was  heavily  mortgaged,  as  was 
natural,  since  it  had  been  in  the  family's 
possession  since  Louis  the  Fifteenth's  time. 
A  large  gloomy  courtyard  was  in  front,  and 
a  garden  still  spacious,  but  reduced  from 
its  pristine  dimensions  by  the  encroach 
ments  of  a  new  street,  lay  behind. 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  31 

The  vicomte  found  his  valet  awaiting 
his  return  stretched  out  on  his  best  lounge. 
This  did  not  tend  to  soothe  his  irritation ; 
so,  consigning  the  man  to  the  devil,  he  put 
on  his  velvet  smoking  suit,  and  lay  down  on 
the  couch  himself.  Here  he  again  reflected 
on  the  situation.  As  matters  from  this 
new  standpoint  appeared  in  no  more  favor 
able  aspect  than  from  the  former,  he  finally 
went  to  bed,  resolving  never  to  touch  a 
card  again.  The  ensuing  night,  he  lost  ten 
thousand  francs  more.  The  situation  was 
now  becoming  serious.  He  could  not  ask 
his  father  to  assist  him.  No,  that  was 
impossible.  The  marquis  had  all  that  he 
could  do  to  raise  five  hundred  thousand 
francs  for  a  young  daughter's  dot,  and  her 
marriage  was  approaching.  The  vicomte 
got  up  the  next  morning  tired  of  life  and 
its  losses. 

Yet  it  is  a  long  lane  that  has  no  turning. 
He  must  soon  win  if  he  kept  up  his  pluck. 
Perhaps  he  had  played  wildly.  Ah!  he 
would  adopt  a  system ;  then  he  must  in 
fallibly  win.  He  purchased  all  the  litera 
ture  attainable  on  gambling — and  there  is 


32  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE, 

much — and  shutting  himself  up  in  his 
apartment  for  an  entire  week,  he  at  last 
selected  a  principle  of  play,  based  on  Petti- 
bone's  theory,  as  the  best  suited  to  the 
occasion. 

On  the  eighth  night  he  returned  to  the 
club.  As  a  result  of  the  confidence  inspired 
by  his  studies  he  lost  twelve  thousand 
francs  more. 

"  DMle?  he  cried,  "  these  systems  must 
have  been  invented  by  croupiers.  There 
are  but  three  courses  left.  I  can  go  to 
South  Africa ;  I  can  cut  my  throat ;  or  I 
can  ask  Mme.  de  Trow  to  find  me  an 
American  heiress.  Which,  I  wonder,  is 
the  least  disagreeable?"  But  already 
another  alternative  was  on  its  way  to  him. 


VI. 

MRS.  ABHER'S  LITTLE  DINNER  AND   A  SEC 
RETARY'S  AMBITION. 

MENTION  is  made  of  a  certain  Turkish 
ambassador,  who,  coming  to  Paris,  com 
plained  to  a  colleague  of  the  scant  cere 
mony  that  attended  his  reception. 

"  Is  your  excellency  not  aware,"  was  the 
reply,  "  that  in  the  eyes  of  the  French 
there  is  nowadays  but  one  ambassador  ? " 

"  And  who  is  that  one  ambassador  ? " 
inquired  the  Turk  in  surprise. 

"  Why  the  minister  of  the  United 
States." 

This  was  in  the  days  when  we  only  had 
ministers. 

Mr.  Jackson  was  not  allowed  to  remain 
long  a  stranger  in  Paris.  The  third  day 
after  his  arrival  a  state  carriage,  accom 
panied  by  a  troop  of  cavalry,  conveyed 
him  to  the  filysee,  where,  amid  the  beat 
ing  of  drums  and  the  fanfare  of  trumpets 
outside,  he  presented  his  credentials  to  the 
President.  So  favorable  had  been  the 

33 


34  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  ' 

impression  left  by  his  predecessor  that 
society,  too,  stood  ready  to  meet  him  with 
open  arms,  and  his  figure  was  soon 
destined  to  become  as  prominent  an 
object  in  fashionable  as  in  official  salons. 
His  very  dress  coat,  to  which  allusion  has 
already  been  made,  created  a  deserved  sen 
sation.  It  was  of  the  cut  worn  by  states 
men  and  diplomats  of  the  old  school — your 
Clays — your  Adamses — your  Guizots.  It 
was  buttoned  up  tightly  across  the  chest, 
and  carried  a  certain  distinction  in  its  high 
collar  and  its  narrow  sleeves.  There  was 
a  certain  formality,  too,  in  our  representa 
tive's  manner  when  in  public — a  slightly 
oratorical  way  of  conversing — which 
seemed  to  belong  to  the  attire,  and  drew 
people  about  him  when  he  talked.  It 
was  the  forgotten  dignity  of  the  old  school 
which,  like  ripe  Madeira  in  many  an 
American  cellar,  can  be  found  lingering 
to  perfection  in  America  alone — let  us 
claim.  In  effect,  the  ambassador  made 
a  decided  hit. 

To  her  husband's  success,  Mrs.  Jackson 
contributed.    Her  manner  had  a  gracious- 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  35 

ness,  the  charm  of  which  was  enhanced  by 
a  little  air  of  primness. 

Nor  did  their  success  spoil  them.  On 
the  contrary,  because  of  it,  they  were  the 
more  ready  to  appreciate  the  loneliness  of 
others ;  and,  on  this  score,  if  on  no  other, 
willingly  tolerated  the  advances  of  Mrs. 
Asher. 

"I  stopped  to  get  you  to  promise  to 
come  and  dine  with  me  to-morrow,"  cried 
that  lady  one  morning,  as  she  ran  in  upon 
Mrs.  Jackson.  "Remember,  you  have 
never  set  foot  in  my  teeny  weeny  little 
house." 

"  I  would  have  done  so  long  before,  my 
dear,"  replied  Mrs.  Jackson,  "  but  I  cannot 
accustom  myself  to  these  French  cabs. 
The  drivers  are  so  uncivil.  They  crack 
their  whips  and  tear  along  so  madly  when 
you  wish  to  go  slowly,  and  creep  at  such  a 
pace  when  you  are  in  a  hurry,  that  they  are 
quite  impossible.  We  have  engaged  a  pri 
vate  carriage  by  the  month,  but  the  arrange 
ment  does  not  go  into  effect  till  next  week. 
So,  as  there  are  no  street  cars  here,  I  fear 
we  shall  have  to  wait." 


36  FH1END8  IN  EXILE. 

"Oh,  those  dear  street  cars  !"  fervently 
ejaculated  the  visitor.  "I  used  to  love 
them  so  as  a  girl;  there  is  a  democratic 
freedom  about  them  that  is  quite  captivat 
ing.  The  only  place  where  woman  is 
recognized  at  her  true  worth  is  in  an 
American  street  car." 

The  visitor  turned  to  a  pile  of  visiting 
cards  that  lay  upon  the  table.  "  Oh,  but 
you  are  getting  into  the  swim,"  she  con 
tinued  ;  "  what  a  formidable  array  of  dis 
tinguished  names  ! " 

"  Yes,  people  have  been  very  kind  to 
us,"  answered  Mrs.  Jackson,  "and  Mr. 
Pettigrew  has  been  telling  us  that  the  cus 
tom  here  is  to  return  their  visits  the  very 
next  day.  I  fear  we  have  been  a  little 
remiss,  for  we  have  been  taking  them  by 
installments.  You  see  I  am  carrying  on 
my  grandchildren's  education,  and  write 
the  two  eldest  a  long  letter  every  day.  It 
takes  up  so  much  time." 

"Do  tell  me  about  those  delightful 
children.  How  many  are  there,  and  what 
are  their  names  ? " 

"There  are  three  in  all — one  boy  and 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  37 

two  girls.  Thomas  Jefferson,  named  after 
his  papa — Tommy  we  call  him ;  then 
there's  Mattie  after  me  ;  and  Loo  after  her 
poor  dead  mother.  Do  you  know,  it 
actually  seemed  a  sin  to  leave  them." 

"Poor  little  tots!"  sighed  Mrs.  Asher, 
and  she  seemed  lost  in  contemplation  over 
the  sad  picture  of  their  desertion.  At  last 
she  looked  up,  and,  in  consoling  accents, 
"  Why  won't  you  go  out  with  me  to-mor 
row  in  my  carriage  ? "  she  observed.  "  Your 
own  will  not  be  ready  till  next  week,  you 
tell  me,  and  we  might  return  the  visits 
that  still  remain  due  during  our  drive. 
Then,  after  leaving  me  at  home,  the  car 
riage  could  bring  you  and  your  husband 
to  dinner — that  is,  if  you  are  disen 
gaged." 

"  Oh,  I  never  could  allow  that." 

"But  my  coachman  tells  me  that  the 
horses  will  die  for  want  of  work." 

Mrs.  Jackson  reflected.  "I  must  admit 
I  should  very  much  like  to  see  your  house ; 
and,  as  it  happens,  most  of  our  dinner 
engagements  are  for  evenings  some  time 
ahead.  To  be  sure,  we  had  a  partial 


38  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

engagement  later  in  the  evening  with  Mr. 

and  Mrs.  Lovejoy,  but " 

"Why  not  induce  them  to  come  with 
you  ?     Any  friends  of  yours  will  be  wel 


come." 


Again  Mrs.  Jackson  hesitated.  "  I  am 
sure  they  would  prove  very  grateful  for 
the  invitation,"  she  said.  "You  see,  Mrs. 
Lovejoy  is  a  distant  connection  of  mine, 
and  her  husband  has  availed  himself  of  the 
opportunity  of  Mr.  Jackson's  appointment 
to  come  and  establish  himself  in  business 
here.  Naturally,  they  have  made,  as  yet^ 
few  friends." 

"And,  if  I  might  inquire,  what  is  the 
nature  of  his  business  ? " 

"  He  is  starting  a  dental  bureau,"  re 
plied  Mrs.  Jackson.  "He  is  a  young  man 
of  decided  talent,  and  with  new  ideas  in 
his  profession.  I  can  see  Mr.  Pettigrew 
disapproves  of  our  intimacy,"  she  went  on, 
"but  leaving  aside  any  question  of  kin 
ship,  the  innate  kindliness  of  people  is  the 
first  consideration,  and  occupying  a  repre 
sentative  position,  as  we  do,  it  behooves 
us  to  make  no  distinctions." 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  39 

"  And  this  Mr.  Pettigrew,  is  lie  a  man  of 
the  world  ?  I  mean,  is  he  worldly  ?  Does 
he  pretend  to  give  advice  as  to  whom  you 
should  know  and  whom  you  should  not 
know?" 

"  Mr.  Pettigrew  is  naturally  anxious  that 
we  should  succeed  here,"  said  the  lady, 
standing  up  for  the  absent  gentleman. 
"  Though  a  trifle  prim  and  Boston-like,  he 
is  considerate  and  kind.  The  only  trouble 
is,  he  has  not  yet  got  to  know  us.  We 
desire  to  see  fashionable  people  so  far  as  it 
falls  within  our  official  duties,  but  we  do 
not  wish  to  confine  ourselves  to  them  alone, 
and  we  even  feel  under  special  obligation 
to  those  Americans  who  most  require  a 
helping  hand." 

Mrs.  Asher  looked  at  the  speaker  with 
an  odd  expression.  During  her  brief 
acquaintance  with  Mrs.  Jackson,  she  had 
learned  to  feel,  despite  the  kindness  of  that 
lady,  an  undefined  fear  of  her  naturalness 
and  directness.  However,  Mrs.  Asher  was 
not  a  woman  of  prejudices;  and,  though 
dentists  affected  her  unpleasantly,  she  sent 
the  desired  invitations.  She  moreover 


40  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

wrote  a  cordial  little  note  to  Mr.  Pettigrew, 
begging  him  to  join  the  party. 

That  gentleman's  curiosity  about  Mrs. 
Asher  was  very  keen,  and  for  once  he  con 
gratulated  himself  that  his  evening  was 
disengaged. 

The  dentist  turned  out  to  be  a  young 
man  with  a  waxy  face,  artificial  looking 
whiskers,  and  a  mechanical  smile  that  dis 
closed  teeth  of  such  superlative  whiteness 
and  regularity  as  to  convey  the  suspicion 
that  their  value  as  an  advertisement  was 
not  lost  sight  of. 

His  wife  was  a  pretty,  lady-like  little 
woman — fragile  and  delicate  as  Dresden 
china — with  a  tendency  to  give  piquancy 
to  the  conversation  by  an  occasional  inter 
jection  of  "Do  say!"  "Oh,  my!"  "Dear 
me ! "  "  Is  that  so  ?  " — finding  recourse  at 
intervals  in  the  lament  that  she  tried  to 
reconcile  herself  to  being  in  Paris  by  imag 
ining  herself  in  Elmira.  Though  her  hus 
band  failed  to  back  her  up  in  these  linguis 
tic  efforts,  saying  little  himself  and  merely 
smiling  in  his  plate,  the  dinner  passed  off 
successfully.  The  hostess  was  at  her  best. 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  41 

Mrs.  Jackson  was  not  only  an  intelligent 
woman,  but  possessed  a  kindly  flow  of 
good  spirits,  while  her  husband  talked 
entertainingly,  as  he  always  did. 

On  the  excuse  that  they  had  to  look  after 
a  new  baby,  the  dentist  and  his  wife  re 
tired  early;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jackson  fol 
lowed  soon  after,  leaving  Mr.  Pettigrew 
alone  with  the  hostess.  Notwithstanding 
the  good  cheer,  a  slight  dejection  had 
fallen  upon  that  gentleman,  and  he  smoked 
on  gloomily,  for  Mrs.  Asher  had  insisted 
on  his  lighting  a  cigarette,  and,  to  keep 
him  company,  had  lighted  one  herself. 

Mrs.  Asher  had  a  gift  of  reading  the 
inner  thoughts  of  her  companions.  "  I  fear 
you  are  unhappy,"  she  murmured,  after  a 
long  pause. 

Mr.  Pettigrew  rose  and  knocked  the 
ashes  oft'  his  cigarette. 

"  Possibly  I  can  interpret  your  feelings," 
she  continued.  "  Will  you  tell  me  if  I 
am  right  ?  You  regret  that  our  diplomatic 
service  is  not  like  that  of  other  countries 
— where  high  place  is  usually  the  result  of 
regular  promotion," 


42  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

"  Madam,  I  have  nothing  to  say  against 
Mr.  Jackson's  appointment,"  replied  the 
secretary. 

"  Of  course  not,"  interrupted  Mrs.  Asher. 
"  But  you  can't  help  admitting  that,  how 
ever  great  may  be  his  natural  gifts,  your 
advice  and  assistance  have  been  prominent 
factors  in  the  success  he  has  achieved." 

"  I  have  done  what  I  could." 

"In  a  properly  regulated  service  you 
might  have  been  ambassador  yourself,"  Mr. 
Pettigrew  protested. 

"  You  must  not  underrate  your  abilities," 
replied  Mrs.  Asher.  "With  your  experi 
ence  in  European  courts,  and  knowledge 
of  diplomatic  usage,  there  is  no  position 
that  you  might  not  aspire  to." 

Mr.  Pettigrew  was  not  proof  against  this 
flattery.  "  You  are  right  in  one  respect," 
he  said.  "I  have  had  a  schooling  that 
leads  me  to  aspire,  though  it  may  not 
assist  me  to  attain.  But  enough  of  my 
self.  I  am  trying  to  persuade  Mr.  Jack 
son  to  lease  a  house  worthy  of  the  great 
country  he  represents,  and  I  am  going 
to  invite  your  cooperation.  There,  for 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  43 

instance,  is  the  hotel  of  the  Marquise  de 
la  Yieille  Roche — the  best  house  in  the 
Faubourg.  It  will  soon  be  in  the  market, 
if  what  I  hear  of  her  son's  losses  at  play 
be  true." 

"  And  who  is  the  Marquise  de  la  Vieille 
Roche?" 

"Who  is  the  Marquise  de  la  Vieille 
Roche  ? "  repeated  Mr.  Pettigrew.  "  Why, 
she  is  one  of  the  best-known  leaders  of 
French  society.  What  the  Jockey  Club 
does  for  a  man,  her  salon  does  for  a 
woman ;  to  be  merely  seen  at  one  of  her 
Thursday  evening  receptions  opens  every 
door  in  Paris."  Thereupon  Mr.  Pettigrew 
proceeded  to  give  a  detailed  history  of  the 
family. 

At  the  close  of  his  recital  Mrs.  Asher, 
who  seemed  extremely  interested  in  the 
subject,  inquired  into  the  amount  of  the 
vicomte's  debts. 

"Ihave  heard  them  put  as  high  as  thirty 
thousand  francs,"  was  the  reply;  "but,  if 
only  one-quarter  of  that  sum,  it  would 
be  the  last  feather.  You  see,  I  was  on 
the  point  of  arranging  a  meeting  between 


44  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

Mrs.  Jackson  and  the  marquise;  but  now 
there  is  no  use,  as  in  any  event  she  will 
scarcely  be  able  to  entertain  much." 

"Ah,  how  1  wish  I  had  someone  to 
make  things  easy  for  me,"  murmured  the 
lady.  "  Here  I  have  thrust  upon  me  a 
great  fortune,  with  little,  if  any,  experi 
ence  of  the  world,  and  no  one  to  advise 
me  save  my  enemies." 

"  Enemies ! "  ejaculated  Mr.  Pettigrew. 

"Well,  I  have  no  friends.  Do  you 
know,  Mr.  Pettigrew,  I  had  at  first  an  ink 
ling  that  you  were  inimical  to  me  ? " 

Mr.  Pettigrew  started  and  turned  pale. 
He  glanced  about  the  sumptuous  apart 
ment,  at  the  lofty  ceiling,  the  Boucher 
panels  and  dessm-de-portes,  the  rich  crimson 
silk  hangings.  With  the  air  of  luxury  an 
agreeable  sense  of  warmth  stole  over  him. 
A  little  hope,  unreasonable  but  vivid, 
started  into  life  in  his  bosom,  and  germi 
nated  like  the  seed  of  a  flower  in  a  sandy 
soil.  The  innuendo  was  too  pointed  to  be 
misunderstood,  yet  too  vague  and  ambig 
uous  to  be  acted  on  at  once ;  on  the  con 
trary,  he  must  act  cautiously,  and  after 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  45 

a  desultory  conversation  he  made  his 
adieux  and  departed,  turning  over  what 
she  had  said  in  his  mind,  as  he  wended 
his  way  to  his  lofty  lodgings. 

He  had,  if  not  a  recognized  position  in 
the  great  world,  at  least  an  entree  there. 
With  such  a  woman  and  such  a  fortune, 
might  he  not  command  any  position  he 
liked.  What  glory  her  wealth  would 
bring  to  the  embassy.  Mrs.  Jackson  would 
instinctively  yield  her  ihepas — and  affairs 
would  then  be  conducted  according  to  his 
own  views. 

For  reasons  that  will  appear  later  on, 
Mr.  Pettigrew  desperately  needed  a  wealthy 
and  sympathetic]  helpmate  in  his  position 
as  secretary,  and  for  considerations  that 
were  neither  wholly  worldly  nor  belittling 
to  him.  On  the  other  hand,  his  tenure  of 
office  under  Mr.  Jackson  was  extremely 
precarious,  and  might  be  severed  com 
pletely  at  any  moment.  Is  it  inexcusable 
in  him  if  he  considered  that  phase  of  the 
matter  also  ?  What  would  happen  should 
he  be  turned  adrift  on  the  world  ?  But  could 
he  win  her  ?  She  was  evidently  friendless 


46  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

and  despite  the  tale  she  had  told  the  ambassa 
dor,  he  was  a  little  skeptical  about  her  ante 
cedents.  Nevertheless,  she  was  a  grand  and 
glorious  woman — with  no  cavalier  protector 
in  sight,  and  she  had  intimated  that  his 
assistance  would  be  welcome.  There 
was  no  quid  without  a  quo,  and  his  spirits 
became  buoyant  as  he  realized  the  possibil 
ities  before  him. 

While  Mr.  Pettigrew  was  returning 
homeward,  indulging  in  his  fond  dreams, 
Mrs.  Asher  was  inditing  a  note  to  the 
Vicomte  de  Dindon,  whose  address,  course 
of  life,  and  characteristics,  down  to  the  last 
particular,  had  been  wormed  out  of  the 
unconscious  secretary. 


VII. 

"  ALAS  !   HER    BEAUTY     PROVED   THE    HONEY 
THAT   CAUGHT   THE   FLY." 

THE  letter  reached  the  vicomte  at  a 
favorable  moment — at  the  very  moment 
when,  after  figuring  up  his  assets,  he  found 
that  they  would  fall  far  short  of  his  obli 
gations. 

The  letter  was  short,  but  to  the  point. 
"Monsieur  le  Vicomte,"  it  said,  "I  have 
heard  that  you  are  suffering  from  a  tempo 
rary  embarrassment  of  a  pecuniary  charac 
ter.  If  I  am  correctly  informed,  and  you 
can  find  it  convenient  to  call  to-morrow  at 
twelve  o'clock,  at  No.  220  Rue  Pelletier, 
I  think  I  can  suggest  a  means  by  which 
your  obligations  may  be  met."  It  was 
signed  Diana  Asher,  and  was  marked 
"  confidential." 

"  Diana  Asher,"  he  exclaimed.  "  Ah ! 
that  is  a  little  too  much ; "  then  bursting 
into  a  little  laugh,  he  surveyed  himself  in 
the  glass. 

"Well,  one's  looks  are  of  some  use  after 

47 


48  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

all,"  he  cried,  for  it  was  natural  that  he 
should  place  but  one  construction  on  the 
letter.  His  temperament  being  elastic,  it 
raised  him  from  extreme  depression  to  de 
cided  gayety,  causing  his  financial  troubles 
to  lapse  into  the  background. 

A  fresh  conquest  was  before  him,  of  a 
kind  he  most  appreciated;  namely,  of  a 
woman  whose  name  was  on  the  tongue  of 
Paris.  His  curiosity,  too,  was  piqued.  He 
had  first  heard  of  her  during  the  late  car 
nival  at  Nice,  where  she  had  attracted  con 
siderable  attention  by  her  equipage,  and 
still  more  by  standing  on  her  balcony  and 
throwing  down  coins  to  the  crowd.  Then 
she  had  recently  moved  to  Paris,  and  again 
created  a  sensation  by  her  horsemanship  in 
the  Bois.  She  had  appeared  once  or  twice 
at  the  opera,  and  she  called  herself  an 
American.  This  was  all  he  knew  about 
her.  But  it  was  of  a  kind  to  make  him 
regard  her  as  an  adventuress  of  a  supe 
rior  order,  despite  her  reputation  of  for 
tune. 

Dressing  himself  with  unusual  care,  and 
placing  a  white  gardenia  in  his  button- 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  49 

hole,  the  vicomte  repaired  at  the  ap 
pointed  hour  to  No.  220  Rue  Pelletier.  He 
found  himself  before  a  private  hotel,  whose 
appearance,  though  unpretentious,  was  yet 
a  trifle  stately.  The  courtyard  was 
of  a  considerable  size,  and  the  trees  that 
showed  over  the  roof  of  the  mansion  argued 
in  favor  of  a  garden  behind. 

Admitted  within,  he  was  left  to  await  the 
coming  of  the  hostess  in  a  small  room  over 
looking  this  garden.  The  window  was 
closed  and  the  air  heavy  with  the  odor 
of  hothouse  roses,  which,  combined  with  a 
certain  richness  of  decoration,  somehow 
contradicted  the  impressions  created  by 
the  exterior  of  the  house.  While  he  was 
taking  note  of  the  rare  bric-a-brac  scat 
tered  about,  being  a  connoisseur  in  such 
things,  Mrs.  Asher  entered.  She  was  at 
tired  in  a  peignoir  of  a  soft,  clinging  tex 
ture,  with  a  profusion  of  lace  in  front,  and 
falling  away  in  graceful  folds  behind  her 
as  she  moved. 

With  an  air  of  gallantry,  he  raised  her 
pink  finger  nails  to  his  lips.  Mrs.  Asher 
had  a  hand  the  like  of  which  few  women 


50  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

could  show — delicate,  tapering,  and  of  the 
smoothness  of  ivory. 

"You  were  probably  surprised  at  my 
writing  you,"  she  coolly  observed,  "and 
more  particularly  that  I  should  be  aware 
of  your  predicament.  But  I  am  informed 
that  you  are  in  debt  to  the  extent  of 
twenty-five  thousand  francs.  If  you  are 
unable  to  obtain  relief  from  any  other 
source,  my  banker  is  prepared  to  come  to 
your  assistance  with  a  loan  of  that  amount." 

The  businesslike  tone  in  which  this  pro 
posal  was  stated,  as  well  as  the  abruptness 
of  its  introduction,  proved  slightly  disillu 
sioning  to  the  visitor. 

"You  are  my  guardian  angel,"  he  ob 
served,  however,  trying  to  maintain  his 
enthusiasm. 

"  But  the  guardian  angel  makes  one  con 
dition,"  she  smiled. 

"Madame  has  but  to  name  it,"  replied 
the  impulsive  young  man. 

"  Monsieur  le  Vicomte,  I  have  reason  for 
desiring  to  study  this  great  Paris  world 
from  another  than  an  outsider's  standpoint. 
I  require  to  be  launched." 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  61 

"Ah,  but  how  can  I  help  madame  ?" 

"  Perhaps  not  you,  but  madame  the  mar 
quise  can." 

"My  mother?" 

"  Precisely.  The  conditions  that  I  ex 
act  are  that  you  represent  my  wishes  to 
the  marquise,  and  that  she  become  my 
sponsor." 

A  shower  of  cold  water  would  scarcely 
have  equaled  in  its  chilling  effects  this 
announcement.  For  once,  he  found  no 
words  at  his  command. 

Mrs.  Asher  continued.  "She  receives 
eveiy  Thursday  evening.  There  is  no  bet 
ter  plan  by  which  I  could  make  a  start 
than  by  her  inviting  me  to  receive  with 
her." 

The  vicomte's  amazement  augmented. 
"  And  is  that  your  ultimatum  ? "  he  in 
quired. 

"It  is." 

"  Then  madame  must  know  I  can  hardly 
introduce  to  my  mother "  He  stam 
mered,  actually  uncertain  in  which  sphere 
to  place  her — whether  in  the  reputable  or 
in  that  of  the  demi-monde. 


52  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

She  looked  at  him  in  her  cool,  unruffled 
manner.  Never  had  her  beauty  seemed 
more  refined  and  spiritual.  It  began  to 
tell  on  him. 

"I  know  what  you  would  say.  Mon 
sieur  does  not  like  to  introduce  a  stranger 
into  the  bosom  of  his  family.  He  is 
even  shocked  at  my  request.  Very  well, 
I  will  explain.  I  am  a  stranger,  and  I  may 
have  but  a  short  time  to  reside  here — not 
the  time  to  take  the  ordinary  methods  of 
assuming  the  position  I  am  entitled  to. 
But,  of  course,  monsieur  is  right  to  ask  for 
credentials.  He  shall  have  them.  I  am 
the  widow  of  a  distinguished  officer  in  the 
United  States  army,  and  am,  moreover,  on 
intimate  terms  with  the  American  ambassa 
dor  and  his  wife.  Under  ordinary  cir 
cumstances,  I  would  rely  upon  them  to 
introduce  me;  but,  having  so  recently 
arrived,  they  have  not  yet  begun  to  re 
ceive,  and  my  entree  through  them  would 
be  necessarily  retarded.  They  will  gladly 
indorse  my  statements,  however,  and  will 
guarantee  that  she  who  is  addressing  you 
has  the  right  to  select  her  world." 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  53 

"  Of  course,  if  madame  is  intimate  at  her 
embassy,  that  puts  an  entirely  different 
light  on  the  matter,"  said  the  vicomte. 
"  But  suppose  my  mother  should  still 
object,"  he  continued ;  "  she  is  not  easily 
persuaded." 

"  You  need  only  remind  her,"  returned 
Mrs.  Asher,  "  of  the  inconvenience  of  hav 
ing  a  son  turned  out  of  his  clubs,  thereby 
creating  a  scandal  which  might  reflect  upon 
the  young  daughter  whose  marriage  is  ap 
proaching,  and  affect  her  future  prospects 
by  the  possible  rupture  of  the  engagement. 
I  know  French  people,  even  lovers,  are 
sensitive  about  such  things.  But  at  all 
events,  you  can  explain  to  the  marquise 
that  the  son  becomes  a  pariah,  having  no 
place  in  the  wide  world  to  lay  his  head, 
and  affording  to  the  hated  republicans 
the  opportunity  of  saying,  'See  of  what 
character  are  the  sons  of  these  great  sup 
porters  of  the  throne ;  they  fail  to  pay  their 
debts  of  honor ! '  I  think,  however,  it 
would  be  unnecessary  to  enter  into  these 
particulars.  A  simple  request  for  madame 
to  call  upon  me  will  be  sufficient.  I  mean, 


54  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

naturally,  after  your  father,  the  marquis, 
has  satisfied  himself  at  the  embassy  as  to 
my  status.  The  rest  could  be  left  in  my 
hands." 

The  vicomte  departed.  He  had.  a  keen 
sense  of  honor,  but  he  was  young  and 
unbusinesslike.  He  was,  moreover,  in 
a  terrible  predicament — a  predicament 
that  he  had  never  appreciated  until  her 
words  about  the  hated  republicans  had 
brought  it  home  to  him.  After  all  it  was 
no  gift  that  he  would  be  accepting,  only  a 
loan  to  be  repaid,  and  if  she  were  received 
at  her  embassy,  as  she  claimed,  her  status 
was  established.  The  request  was  a  little 
bizarre,  that  was  all.  But  after  Mrs.  de 
Trow  anything  was  possible  in  her  country 
women,  he  reasoned.  Then  her  beauty, 
ah,  her  beauty !  her  beauty  was  divine 
— and  this  proved  the  honey  that  caught 
the  fly.  * 


VIII. 


THE  MARQUIS  CALLS  TO  INQUIRE  INTO  MKS. 
ASHEK'S  ANTECEDENTS. 


Two  secretaries  and  a  military  and  naval 
attache  form  the  complement  of  the  United 
States  Embassy  in  Paris.  Mr.  Jackson  re 
solved  not  to  be  in  haste  in  filling  one  of  the 
secretaryships  which  was  vacant,  and  for  the 
time  being  to  allow  Mr.  Pettigrew  to  remain 
in  the  enjoyment  of  the  other.  In  all 
governmental  departments,  however,  there 
is  some  one  person,  who,  if  undistinguished 
by  any  particular  title,  does  a  large  propor 
tion  of  the  actual  work.  In  such  an  indi 
vidual  the  embassy  here  was  not  lacking. 

Clerk,  interpreter,  messenger,  chancellor, 
and,  in  short,  general  factotum,  M.  Jules 
Antel,  though  a  typical  Frenchman,  was 
better  posted  on  the  traditions  of  the  office, 
its  routine  of  business,  and  its  usages  than 
it  was  reasonable  to  expect  the  ambassadors 
or  secretaries  with  their  comparatively  brief 
stays  to  be ;  nor  should  his  value  be  depre 
ciated  from  the  fact  that  attendance  at  the 

55 


56  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

door-bell  was  included  in  his  manifold 
duties.  There  is  nothing  that  requires 
greater  tact  and  a  nicer  judgment  than  the 
selection  of  the  right  people  to  admit  into 
one  of  our  embassies,  except  it  be  the  get 
ting  rid  of  the  rest  without  offense. 

Mr.  Jackson  was  quick  to  appreciate 
M.  Antel's  good  points,  and  wisely  made 
a  friend  of  him  from  the  first.  Besides,  the 
old  clerk  offered  a  curious  psychological 
study  to  our  representative,  who  delighted 
to  draw  him  out. 

One  afternoon,  as  Mr.  Jackson  was  walk 
ing  up  and  down  his  office,  according  to  a 
habit  he  had,  he  thus  observed :  "  Yes, 
Monsieur  Antel,  as  I  think  I  have  said 
before,  you  ought  to  take  a  vacation  some 
time  and  go  to  America." 

"  Ma  foi,  were  I  not  so  old  I  might 
follow  your  excellency's  advice.  Indeed, 
I  made  a  voyage  once  to  the  coast  of  Nor 
mandy  ;  but  I  say  to  myself,  '  What  is  the 
use  of  going  anywhere  since  all  the  world 
comes  to  Paris  ? ' : 

"  You  might  be  tempted  to  remain  and 
try  growing  up  with  a  new  country." 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  5V 

"But  I  have  already  grown  up,  your 
excellency,  to  the  extent  of  becoming  gray, 
and  I  find  Paris  much  to  my  taste.  I  must 
confess,  too,  if  you  pardon  my  presump 
tion,  I  prefer  our  boulevards  to  those  vast 
prairies  of  yours,  and  the  cascade  in  the 
Bois  to  the  rapids  of  Niagara." 

"  I  fear  you  have  no  ambition,  Mon 
sieur  Antel,"  said  the  ambassador  un 
guardedly. 

"Pardon,  your  excellency;  I  have  a 
very  great  ambition,  an  ambition  that  has 
outlived  many  changes  of  administration 
here,  but  which  it  seems  will  never  be 
realized." 

"And  what  is  that?" 

"Your  excellency,  it  is  to  have  some 
recognized  position  here:  I  mean  some 
official  designation  in  this  embassy.  In 
times  back  when  it  was  but  a  legation  I 
dreamed  of  becoming  chancellor:  that  is 
now  perhaps  too  much  to  aspire  to;  but, 
if  I  could  be  entitled  interpreter,  or  chief 
clerk,  and  have  it  put  on  my  card,  it  would 
amply  satisfy  me." 

"  Monsieur  Ante],  I  am  glad  you  have 


58  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

made  a  confidant  of  me.  I  will  try  to  get 
the  government  to  recognize  you  when  I 
go  home." 

"  As  it  is,"  went  on  M.  Antel,  "  I  am 
without  that  status  which  every  man  of 
right  feeling  naturally  aspires  to  possess. 
My  duties  conflict  too.  When  I  am  copy 
ing  out  some  state  paper  I  am  liable  to  be 
sent  out  on  a  message ;  or  again,  when  I  am 
translating  some  important  document,  ting- 
a-ling  goes  the  bell,  and  I  must  fly  to  the 
door.  It  is  mortifying  to  one's  pride,  quite 
frankly,  Monsieur  1'Ambassadeur." 

The  ambassador  laughed  in  spite  of  him 
self.  "  I  quite  agree  with  you,  Monsieur 
Antel.  Every  man  should  know  his  posi 
tion.  Your  only  trouble  is,  you  have 
disclosed  talents  in  so  many  lines,  the 
government  will  be  reluctant  to  dispense 
with  your  services  in  any.  But  stay,  who 
in  the  world  is  that  ? " 

Mr.  Jackson  approached  the  window, 
and  saw  an  elderly  gentleman  in  a  high 
mail  phaeton  stop  before  the  embassy. 
His  hat  brim  was  large  and  curled  upward. 
He  wore  a  black  satin  stock  and  a  tight- 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  59 

fitting  frock  coat,  and  altogether  bore  the 
stamp  of  the  old  school. 

"  Who  can  he  be  coming  to  see,  I  won 
der  ? "  exclaimed  Mr.  Jackson. 

"  Ah !  your  excellency,  there  resides  on 
the  ground  floor  a  lovely  little  blonde — per 
chance  the  ambassador  has  remarked  her. 
She  is  fortunate  to-day,"  and  M.  Antel, 
restored  to  good  humor,  smiled  with  the 
air  of  an  ancient  boulevardier. 

A  tinkle  of  the  embassy  bell  soon  dis 
pelled  an  hypothesis  so  flattering  to  the 
blonde ;  and  a  moment  later  the  old  clerk, 
in  conformity  with  his  manifold  duties, 
ceremoniously  ushered  the  distinguished 
looking  stranger  into  the  apartment. 

"Allow  me  to  introduce  to  your  excel 
lency  the  Marquis  de  la  Vieille  Roche,"  said 
M.  Antel. 

The  ambassador  bowed.  "  And  in  what 
manner  can  I  serve  the  marquis?"  Mr. 
Jackson  asked. 

M.  Antel  consulted  for  a  moment  with 
the  visitor,  and  then,  in  his  character  of  in 
terpreter,  thus  began :  "  Your  excellency, 
the  marquis  begs  to  express  his  great  re- 


60  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

spect  for  the  country  that  you  represent, 
and  to  say  that  since  your  arrival  he  has 
heard  nothing  but  the  praises  of  the  new 
American  ambassador.  He  bids  me,  there 
fore,  say  that  he  has  great  honor  in  making 
your  excellency's  acquaintance." 

Again  the  ambassador  bowed.  "  Please 
assure  the  marquis  of  my  appreciation  of  his 
complimentary  words,"  replied  the  envoy, 
"and  remind  him  I  am  anxious  to  hear 
to  what  I  owe  the  honor  of  his  visit." 

"  Pardon,  your  excellency,  I'm  coming  to 
the  point :  briefly,  then,  the  marquis  wishes 
to  learn  what  you  know  of  the  antecedents 
of  this  American  woman,  Mrs.  Asher." 

The  ambassador  was  slightly  annoyed. 
It  seemed  an  officious  inquiry,  and  Mr.  Jack 
son  knew  how  to  resent  a  liberty.  In  these 
cases  he  put  on  an  air  of  stony  indifference, 
for  which  he  was  celebrated  when  in  Con 
gress.  He  shook  his  head  from  side  to  side. 
"Tell  him,  Monsieur  Antel,  that  we  have 
no  women  in  America." 

"  No  women  in  America  ? "  repeated  the 
clerk  in  natural  surprise. 

The    ambassador  kept  on   shaking  his 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  61 

head.  "  No,  Monsieur  Antel.  I've  known 
America  for  upward  of  fifty-eight  years, 
and  there's  not  a  solitary  woman  in  the 
land.  Tell  the  marquis  we  only  have 
ladies  in  America." 

"  Ah !  I  see,"  returned  the  clerk ;  "  then, 
your  excellency,  the  marquis  has  come  to 
learn  the  antecedents  of  this  lady." 

Again  the  ambassador  shook  his  head. 
"Tell  him,  Antel,  that  we  have  no  ante 
cedents  either,  in  America :  that  antecedents 
equally  with  ancestors  are  tabooed.  Tell 
him  that  so  long  as  people  with  us  keep 
out  of  debt  and  the  divorce  courts,  aye,  and 
you  might  add,  out  of  city  politics,  they 
rank  with  the  best,  and  have  only  to  account 
to  God  Almighty  and  their  own  conscience 
for  who  and  what  they  are.  What  does 
he  say  to  that,  Monsieur  Antel  ? " 

"  He  says,  your  excellency,  that  he  has 
only  one  son,  who  is  all  to  him  in  this 
world.  He  says,  your  excellency,  that  he 
fears  his  son  has  developed  a  sudden  regard 
for  this  Mrs.  Asher,  since  he  has  begged  his 
mother,  the  marquise,  to  call  upon  her  and 
try  to  make  her  stay  in  Paris  agreeable ; 


62  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

that  he,  the  marquis,  therefore,  desires  to 
learn  all  he  can  about  the  lady,  as  your 
excellency  must  admit  is,  under  the  cir 
cumstances,  both  natural  and  proper." 

Mr.  Jackson  advanced  and  cordially  ex 
tended  his  hand.  He  was  a  warm  and 
generous  man,  if  sometimes  a  touchy  one. 
"  Tell  him  I  have  got  a  son  myself — 
Thomas  Jefferson — named  after  the  great 
founder  of  our  liberties,  and  that  I  can 
respect  his  son's  sentiments  for  the  lady. 
Tell  him  that  her  husband  was  once  an 
officer  in  the  United  States  army,  whose  ap 
pointment  to  West  Point  I  myself  secured 
while  in  Congress.  Tell  him,  Antel,  that 
this  was  considered  sufficient  to  secure  to  the 
widow  the  protection  of  the  United  States 
Embassy  and  my  own  approval  of  my 
wife's  acquaintance  with  her.  You  might 
add  that,  while  entertaining  the  highest 
regard  for  the  rank  and  position  of  Mme. 
the  Marquise,  I  labor  under  the  impres 
sion  that  a  lady  who  is  my  wife's  com 
panion  is  fit  to  room  with  a  queen.  Has 
he  got  anything  to  say  to  that  ?  " 

"  He  thanks  your  excellency,"  went  on 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  63 

the  interpreter,  "  and  begs  to  say  that  you 
have  completely  satisfied  him — that  the 
marquise  will  consider  it  an  honor  to  make 
the  lady's  acquaintance,  as  it  will  afford  an 
equal  honor  to  the  marquis  himself.  He 
also  begs  to  apologize  for  the  liberty  he  has 
taken  in  making  these  inquiries,  and  to 
assure  you  of  his  most  distinguished  con 
sideration." 

Thereupon  the  marquis  bowed,  and  was 
escorted  by  M.  Antel  to  the  stairs  with 
extreme  ceremony. 


IX. 

8IGNOR  DE  MARACOVINI  AND  MR.  DE  TROW 
MAKE  A  DISCOVERY  OF  SUPERLATIVE 
IMPORTANCE. 

IT  seems  trite  to  say  that  the  difference 
between  the  French  and  ourselves  is  that 
they  make  a  business  of  their  pleasure, 
while  we  make  a  pleasure  of  our  business. 
The  French  even  go  further,  and  make  of 
living  both  a  science  and  a  fine  art.  In 
spite  of  the  pitying  condescension  which  it 
is  the  fashion  of  some  nations  to  display 
toward  them,  they  are  yet  the  only  people 
who  live  as  if  they  had  a  right  to  hold  up 
their  heads  and  enjoy  life,  without  the  in 
dividual  possession  of  a  million.  They  are 
self-sufficient,  therefore  self-satisfied ;  gifted 
with  the  capacity  of  taking  pleasure  in 
little  things,  they  have  happiness  within 
easy  reach ;  and,  passing  much  of  their  time 
out  of  doors,  dyspepsia  is  well-nigh  unknown 
among  them.  Sitting  at  little  tables  before 
their  cafes,  they  watch  the  passing  crowds, 
drinking  in  the  beauties  of  their  environs 
along  with  the  orgeat  or  eau  sucree.  On 
64 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  65 

tlie  Champs  Elysees  of  a  fine  afternoon, 
the  throng  of  spectators  is  usually  im 
mense;  and,  despite  the  influence  of  a  re 
publican  government,  the  sight  outrivals 
any  city  in  Europe. 

There  was  an  equipage  descending 
the  avenue  to-day,  however,  that  would 
have  been  worthy  of  the  halcyon  days 
of  the  Empire,  for  its  magnificent  high- 
stepping  horses,  if  for  nothing  else.  Silk 
stockings  and  powder  were  not  frequently 
seen  on  the  streets  now ;  but  the  subordina 
tion  of  all  colors  in  the  appointments 
to  a  subdued  green  rendered  these  a 
fitting  adjunct  to  the  general  richness. 
Like  a  shell  borne  along  on  the  wave 
of  travel,  high  above  the  vulgar  flotsam  of 
the  tide  it  came.  With  the  C  springs  curl 
ing  like  the  lines  of  a  breaking  wave-crest 
behind  her,  reclined  on  the  back  seat  a 
woman  whose  delicacy  of  contour,  whose 
slender  figure,  and  whose  exquisitely  fitting 
black  clothes  gave  an  air  of  indescribable 
distinction  to  the  entire  turnout. 

Among  those  who  noticed  the  approach 
of  the  vehicle  were  the  secretary  of  the 


66  FRIENDS  tN  EXILE. 

Sardinian  legation  and  Mr.  de  Trow,  who 
happened  to  be  enjoying  a  couple  of  little 
seats  near  the  curbstone,  at  two  sous  an 
hour.  The  former,  springing  to  his  feet, 
hastily  proposed  to  his  companion  that  they 
secure  a  cab  and  learn  the  destination  of 
the  carriage. 

Mr.  de  Trow  consented  with  the  alacrity  of 
one  who  has  a  long  afternoon  of  absolute  idle 
ness  before  him,  and  they  were  soon  in  pur 
suit.  Down  the  broad  avenue  the  carnage 
goes,  and,  traversing  the  Place  de  la  Con 
corde,  takes  the  bridge,  at  the  foot  of 
which  the  columns  of  the  Chamber  of 
Deputies  stand  like  a  file  of  giant  soldiers 
on  parade.  Arrived  at  the  other  side  of 
the  river,  it  passes  along  the  quays,  and, 
finally  turning  down  a  side  street,  rolls 
into  the  courtyard  of  the  H6tel  de  la 
Vieille  Roche. 

"You  could  have  knocked  me  down 
with  a  feather,"  exclaimed  Mr.  de  Trow 
a  couple  of  hours  afterwards,  when  relat 
ing  his  adventure  to  his  wife. 

"  I  must  confess,"  replied  Mrs.  de  Trow, 
"the  presumption  of  this  woman  passes 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  67 

all  bounds — to  go  and  call  upon  a  perfect 
stranger." 

"  But  the  marquise  called  upon  her  first." 

"The  marquise  called  upon  her  first," 
repeated  Mrs.  de  Trow ;  "  impossible  !  " 

"  But  it  is  true.  You  see  that  was  the 
first  question  that  suggested  itself  to  Mara- 
covini  and  myself  when  we  saw  her  drive 
in.  Could  she  have  gone  to  see  the  mar 
quise  of  her  own  accord,  or  had  she 
called  to  return  a  visit  ?  This  we  dis 
cussed  in  all  its  bearings  till,  in  fact,  we 
saw  her  come  out  and  drive  away;  then, 
resolving  to  ascertain  at  all  hazards,  we 
rang  the  lodge  bell,  and,  frankly  stating 
our  dilemma  to  the  concierge,  gave  him 
a  louis  to  find  out  for  us.  This  he  did 
through  one  of  the  footmen  who  had  been 
on  the  carriage  the  day  the  marquise 
called,  and  who  distinctly  remembered 
leaving  her  card  for  Mrs.  Asher." 

"If  Americans  are  coming  to  inundate 
French  society  like  this,  there'll  soon  be 
little  credit  in  being  in  it.  She  can  have 
no  position  at  home ;  and,  if  it  was  not  so 
sad,  it  would  be  actually  laughable." 


68  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

For  Mr.  and  Mrs.  de  Trow  assumed  to 
hold  the  first  and  only  mortgage  on  the 
Faubourg.  Mr.  de  Trow  looked  as  if  no 
words  could  adequately  express  his  sense 
of  personal  grievance. 

"Yes,  it's  more  than  presumptuous — 
it's  monstrous,"  continued  the  lady ;  "  and 
what  makes  it  worse,  I  suppose  we  shall 
soon  have  to  go  now  and  call  upon  this 
Mrs.  Asher  ourselves." 


X. 

MRS.    ASHER  CAPTURES  THE  FAUBOURG. 

MKS.  ASHER  had  timed  her  visit  well, 
for  she  found  the  marquise  at  home,  and, 
moreover,  made  a  good  impression  on  her. 
Our  fair  compatriot  had  an  extraordinary 
facility  in  languages,  and  an  equally  re 
markable  gift  of  adapting  herself  to  all 
kinds  of  people.  She  told  the  marquise 
that  she  wished  to  do  good  in  the  world 
(Mrs.  Asher  was  always  talking  about 
doing  good  in  the  world).  She  explained 
her  theories  of  the  obligations  of  great 
wealth.  She  said,  too,  that  she  was  a 
Roman  Catholic,  and  intimated  a  desire  to 
consult  the  Archbishop  of  Paris  concern 
ing  the  best  field  for  certain  charities. 
Further  than  this,  she  alluded  to  the  deca 
dence  of  the  higher  virtues  consequent 
upon  the  spread  of  democracy,  and  touch 
ed  upon  the  advantage  that  might  even 
yet  accrue  to  the  Legitimist  cause 
by  the  disbursement  of  sufficient  money 


VO  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

in  the  coming  elections.  Thus  she  arrayed, 
as  it  were,  the  Church  and  State  in  her 
favor,  and  quite  took  the  old  lady  by 
storm. 

The  marquise  was  a  plain,  simple-minded 
woman,  whose  every  effort  was  required 
to  fill  the  duties  of  a  great  position  on  a 
limited  income :  a  woman  belonging  to  an 
age  that  was  not  familiar  with  the  schem 
ing  adventuress ;  and  she  owed  her  posi 
tion  to  the  historic  name  she  bore  rather 
than  to  any  whim  of  fashion — a  woman 
whose  character  was  not  unlike  Mrs.  Jack 
son's  in  its  simple  dignity. 

It  is  to  the  credit  of  French  society  that 
these  women  are  looked  up  to,  and  are  not 
relegated  to  the  shelves  of  obscurity,  as 
such  dames  are  apt  to  be  in  England. 
They  are  the  antidotes  to  the  parvenu  who 
is  demoralizing  society. 

An  invitation  to  the  marquise's  Thurs 
day  evening  receptions  followed;  and,  a 
few  nights  afterward,  Mrs.  Asher  made  her 
first  public  appearance  in  the  great  world 
of  Paris.  Her  success  was  immediate  and 
unquestioned.  She  seemed  the  very  quin- 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  11 

tessence  of  refinement,  devoting  all  her 
efforts  to  capturing  the  good-will  of  the 
women,  and  appearing  to  shrink  away  from 
the  men,  who  were  thereby  only  drawn  to 
her  the  more.  For  Mrs.  Asher  knew  that 
it  is  only  when  a  woman's  position  is  suffi 
ciently  assured  to  enable  her  to  brave  the 
hostility  of  her  own  sex,  that  she  can 
afford  to  encourage  the  devoted  attentions 
of  the  other.  Thus,  by  one  bold  spring, 
she  had  placed  her  foot  on  the  highest 
rung  of  the  social  ladder ;  for,  if  you  only 
have  the  courage,  it  is  as  easy  to  begin  at 
the  top  as  at  the  bottom,  and  you  save 
much  intermediate  climbing. 

Among  those  most  astonished  at  her 
debut  was  Mr.  Pettigrew.  He  was  also 
dismayed,  for  he  realized  that  she  was  now 
lifted  out  of  his  reach,  and  that  his  new 
found  hope  would  have  had  a  far  better 
chance  of  realization  had  she  remained 
obscure.  But  she  was  too  clever  a  woman 
to  neglect  him.  On  the  contrary,  she 
rather  encouraged  him,  seeming  to  shrink 
less  from  him  than  from  other  men. 

Nor  was    the   vicomte   quite    satisfied, 


72  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

either.  Had  she  continued  under  his  pro 
tection,  the  admiration  of  the  world  would 
have  flattered  his  pride ;  but  she  had 
profited  too  greatly  by  his  assistance,  and 
seemed  escaping  also  from  him. 

A  few  days  after,  he  called  by  appoint 
ment  at  her  house. 

"  But  you  have  not  given  me  my  reward," 
he  said,  taking  a  seat  beside  her  on  the 
empire  sofa. 

"  And  what  reward  is  that  ? "  she  asked, 
a  trifle  nervously. 

"A  little  affection." 

She  could  not  yet  afford  to  show  her 
independence.  "  But  affection  is  not  always 
at  our  command,"  she  smiled. 

The  vicomte  endeavored  to  secure  her 
hand.  "  Then  you  must  give  me  a  chance 
to  woo  it." 

She  avoided  his  touch,  as  only  a  clever 
woman  can  do.  "  But,  Monsieur  le  Vi 
comte,  you  are  '  too  previous,'  as  we  say  in 
America.  Fie !  fie !  what  would  the 
maUre  d'Jidtel  think  if  he  found  us  sitting 
hand  in  hand." 

"  He  would  probably  imagine  that  we 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  73 

were  playing  Paul  and  Virginia,"  said  the 
young  man  sarcastically. 

"He  would  certainly  think  it  very 
strange.  But  tell  me  something  about 
these  de  Trows ;  they  left  cards  on  me  yes 
terday.  Do  you  know  them  ?  " 

"  I  know  them,"  replied  the  vicomte 
gloomily. 

"  Well,  what  sort  of  people  are  they  ? " 

"Mrs.  de  Trow  is  an  inspired  goose," 
returned  the  vicomte  still  sulkily,  "who 
owes  her  position  to  her  peculiarities." 

"  Ah,  how  delightful !  You  make  me 
anxious  to  know  her.  In  what  does  her 
peculiarity  consist  ? " 

"In  her  efforts  to  be  like  other  peo 
ple." 

"  That  is  better  than  trying  to  be  differ 
ent.  It  is  not  a  pose,  then  ?  " 

"Perhaps  not;  but  we  are  getting  off 
the  subject.  I  told  you  that  from  the  first 
moment  I  saw  you,  I  fell  a  ready  victim  to 
your  fascinations.  Have  you  no  regard  for 
my  affection,  that  you  cast  it  off  like  a 
glove?" 

"What  is  affection,"  asked  Mrs.  Asher 


f  4  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

drearily.  "  I  knew  it,  or  thought  I  knew 
it  once,  but  I  was  deceived." 

"  That  ought  to  make  you  more  appre 
ciative  of  it  when  it  is  genuine." 

She  laughed.  "But  its  genuineness 
can  scarcely  be  proved  in  two  weeks." 

"  Do  you  not  believe  then,  inadame,  in 
the  spontaneity  of  affection — in  love  at  first 
sight?" 

"  I  am  more  inclined  to  believe  in  love 
before  first  sight." 

"  In  love  before  first  sight,"  repeated  the 
young  man  confusedly ;  "  but  how  so  ? " 

"I  fear  it  would  seem  coarse  if  I 
explained." 

"  Nothing  would  seem  coarse  from  your 
lips." 

"  Very  well,  then.  When  a  man  desires 
to  ranger  himself  and  he  hears  of  a  lady 
with  three  millions  in  the  Rentes,  his  is  apt 
to  be  a  case  of  love  before  first  sight." 

"  Madame  is  ironical." 

"  Madame  is  only  practical.  Real  affec 
tion  requires  more  than  three  or  four  meet 
ings,  my  friend,  to  develop ; "  but  she 
looked  at  him  encouragingly,  all  the  same. 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  75 

"  How  many  does  it  require  ?  "  asked  the 
vicomte  doggedly,  forgetting  that  of  all 
things  a  woman  most  dislikes  being  pes 
tered  with  questions. 

"Oh,  we  will  not  discuss  that  now. 
Here  conies  another  visitor ; "  for  Mr.  Petti- 
grew's  card  was  brought  in  at  this  moment. 
"  You  know  I  must  tolerate  him,"  she  con 
tinued  in  an  aside,  "  he  is  such  a  friend  of 
those  dear  Jacksons." 

Mr.  Pettigrew  was  quick  to  follow  his 
card;  and,  as  he  entered,  he  eyed  the 
vicomte  with  as  near  an  approach  to  an 
noyance  as  he  deemed  it  politic  to  bestow 
on  anyone  who  might  ever  prove  useful  to 
the  embassy.  The  vicomte,  after  a  curt 
salutation,  walked  over  to  the  window. 

It  requires  tact  of  no  mean  order  to  keep 
two  gentlemen  in  good  humor  who  meet  in 
the  drawing  room  of  a  woman  on  whom 
each  considers  he  has  an  especial  claim. 
Each  immediately  decides  to  outstay  the 
other;  and  this  in  itself  is  embarrassing. 
But  Mrs.  Asher  was  equal  to  the  occasion, 
and  gradually  brought  the  two  men  to 
gether  by  her  sprightly  talk.  Finally  she 


76  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

repaired  to  the  piano ;  and,  having  made 
Mr.  Pettigrew  comfortable  on  the  sofa,  per 
mitted  the  vicomte  to  turn  over  the  leaves 
of  her  score. 

While  her  voice  was  lacking  in  power,  it 
was  of  remarkable  clearness,  with  a  ready 
flexibility  that  enabled  her  to  slide  without 
apparent  break  or  inconsistency  from  the 
most  risky  solo  of  the  "  Timbale  d' Argent " 
to  the  "Ave  Maria"  of  Gounod.  As  she  went 
on,  the  vicomte  began  to  hum  such  strains 
as  were  familiar  to  him  in  a  harsh  jerky 
tone,  emphasizing  the  more  inspiring  parts 
with  one  hand  as  he  turned  over  the  score 
with  his  other,  leaving  Mr.  Pettigrew 
occasionally  to  break  in  from  the  sofa*  with 
his  own  voice,  which  was  a  trifle  thin,  or  at 
other  times  to  clap  enthusiastically  as  he 
cried,  "  Brava  !  brava  !" 

When  she  rose  from  the  piano,  it  was 
with  the  excuse  of  an  engagement  to  drive ; 
and  the  two  gentlemen  were  obliged  to 
depart  together.  As  he  emerged  into  the 
street,  the  vicomte  detected  the  Sardinian 
secretary  watching  the  door  from  a  cab 
around  the  corner.  He  breathed  a  silent 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  77 

malediction.  Clearly  Signer  de  Maraco- 
vini  was  waiting  the  withdrawal  of  the 
visitors  to  call  himself.  " Sapristi"  mut 
tered  the  vicomte  when  he  reached  the 
next  corner,  "the  whole  diplomatic  corps 
are  lying  in  wait,"  for  here  he  flushed  the 
Bohemian  and  the  Sicilian  ministers  ear 
nestly  conferring  together.  Probably  they 
had  been  speculating  as  to  whom  madame 
had  been  receiving;  for  curiosity  fills  a 
large  part  of  the  modern  diplomat's  time. 


XL 

MRS.    DE   TBOW'S   VIEWS   ON   THE   MALE   SEX. 

MRS.  DE  TROW  was  nothing,  if  not 
patronizing. 

"  You  must  let  me  give  you  a  word  of 
advice,  now  and  then,"  she  observed  to 
Mrs.  Asher,  when  that  lady  came  to  return 
the  former's  visit.  "Paris  is  divided  in 
the  opinion  whether  I  am  a  fool  or  a 
genius;  but  I  see  things  quite  plainly,  I 
can  tell  you." 

"  Oh,  will  you  give  me  your  advice  ?  " 
exclaimed  the  visitor,  in  her  brightest,  most 
naive  way ;  "  I  shall  appreciate  it.  You 
know  I  have  seen  so  little  of  the  world." 

"  I  often  think  the  less  one  sees  of  the 
world,  the  better,"  retorted  Mrs.  de  Trow. 
"  One  becomes  demoralized,  my  dear, 
actually  demoralized.  The  men  we  meet 
here  have  but  one  idea — to  take  advantage 
in  some  way  of  our  sex." 

"  And  what  is  the  predominating  motif 
of  our  own  sex  ? "  laughed  Mrs.  Asher. 
78 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  79 

"To  encourage  them." 

"I  know  very  little  of  France  and  its 
people  except  through  its  literature,"  ob 
served  Mrs.  Asher  more  seriously,  "  but  it 
has  often  occurred  to  me  this  must  give 
a  very  false  impression  of  life  here.  The 
so-called  realism  we  see  in  French  novels, 
and  in  French  art  generally,  can  hardly 
represent  more  than  a  mere  passing  fashion 
— the  natural  reaction  from  the  absurdly 
stilted  romantic  school  that  preceded  it. 
The  sum  total  of  a  people's  virtue,  you 
know,  must  be  about  the  same  all  over  the 
world." 

"Don't  deceive  yourself,"  said  Mrs.  de 
Trow  decisively ;  "  things  have  arrived  at 
such  a  pass  that  for  women  of  any  preten 
sions  life  becomes  one  long  and  continued 
state  of  defense.  Why,  my  dear,  we  are 
reduced  to  an  actual  condition  of  siege,  and 
the  expedients  to  capture,  often  only  to 
compromise  us,  would  never  be  realized 
except  by  those  who  understand  the  con 
temptible  drift  of  the  masculine  mind." 

"Ah,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Asher. 


80  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

"  Yes ;  for,  like  the  Indian  with  his 
scalps,  a  man  counts  his  social  status  by 
the  number  of  his  conquests  over  poor  us. 
Indeed,  on  calmly  reviewing  the  situa 
tion,"  continued  Mrs.  de  Trow,  after  a 
plaintive  pause  "I  am  almost  persuaded  to 
return  to  America,  or  to  seek  refuge  in 
some  monastery,  far  from  the  world." 

"You  surprise  me  very  much,"  returned 
Mrs.  Asher  demurely.  "But  what  were 
you  going  to  advise  me — to  enter  [a  mo 
nastery  also?"  There  was  a  slight  stress 
on  monastery. 

"  Well,  I've  quite  forgotten.  Oh,  yes,  I 
was  simply  reciting  my  experiences  of  men 
to  put  you  on  your  guard.  And  yet,  and 
yet,"  here  the  thought  of  Signer  de  Mara- 
covini  recurred  to  her,  "  we  must  not  be 
too  hard,  only  never  let  them  go  too  far." 

"Too  far  away?"  inquired  Mrs.  Asher 
innocently. 

"  Yes,  nor  too  far  near  you.  For,  I  sup 
pose,  we  must  consider  the  man's  point 
of  view — despicable  as  his  sex  is.  He 
needs  our  influence.  There  is  nothing  that 


FEIEND8  IN  EXILE.  81 

brings  him  out  like  a  grand  passion — Take 
de  Trow " 

"I  take  him!" 

"You  may,"  with  one  of  her  sudden 
turns,  "  I  won't  be  jealous,  but  I  meant  to 
take  him  for  an  example.  How  a  grand 
passion  would  revivify  him !  Why,  it 
would  make  him  quite  a  new  man." 

The  idea  of  a  grand  passion  in  any  con 
nection  with  Mr.  de  Trow  struck  Mrs. 
Asher  as  amusing,  and  she  smiled  in  spite 
of  herself  as  she  rose  to  go. 

"  By  the  way,"  said  Mrs.  de  Trow,  de 
taining  her  visitor,  ^peaking  about  Indians 
and  scalps  a  moment  ago  reminds  me  that 
I  am  getting  up  a  party  next  Tuesday 
evening  for  this  horrid  Wild  West  Show. 
Its  very  vulgarity,  I  believe,  has  revived 
interest  in  it  here,  and  I  want  to  secure 
your  company.  You  will  promise  to  come, 
will  you  not?" 

Mrs.  Asher  cordially  accepted  the  invita 
tion. 


XII. 

MRS.    DE    TROW     START8    THE    FASHION    OF     A 
NOVEL    ENTERTAINMENT. 

WHEN  Tuesday  evening  arrived  Signer 
de  Maracovini  apparently  still  believed  in 
the  Machiavellian  policy  he  had  adopted ; 
consequently  it  was  his  attentions,  rather 
than  Mr.  de  Trow's,  of  which  Mrs.  Asher 
was  the  happy  recipient.  In  fact,  the  Sar 
dinian  hung  about  her  the  entire  evening, 
moving  his  seat  next  to  her  as  if  he  con 
sidered  it  his  special  province  to  explain 
each  tableau  in  the  thrilling  performance, 
and  assuming  a  guardianship  over  her  that 
was  certainly  exasperating  to  Mr.  Pettigrew 
and  to  the  vicomte,  if  it  had  no  particular 
effect  on  Mrs.  de  Trow,  for  wrhose  benefit 
it  was  more  especially  intended. 

The  vicomte  kept  twirling  the  little 
points  of  his  mustache,  till  he  looked  as 
sullen  as  Othello  in  the  act  of  working 
himself  up  to  the  climax  of  suppressing 
Desdemona.  And  as  for  Mr.  Pettigrew, 

O  ' 

that    pallor    of    his   parchment-like   com- 

82 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  83 

plexion  became  more  pronounced  as  he  nerv 
ously  twisted  his  kid  gloves,  which  in  ac 
cordance  with  a  general  scheme  of  economy, 
he  more  frequently  kept  in  his  pocket  than 
wore  on  his  hands. 

Among  other  incidents  of  the  evening 
might  be  mentioned  the  fact  that,  owing  to 
a  proclivity  of  Mrs.  de  Trow's  servants  to 
take  advantage  of  her  every  absence,  there 
was  no  one  to  receive  the  supper  she  had 
ordered  from  an  adjoining  restaurant. 
Consequently,  on  her  return  with  her  guests 
from  the  circus,  she  found  it  waiting  on  the 
landing.  The  English  diplomat  broke  his 
penknife  in  trying  to  pick  the  lock  of  the 
door,  and  the  efforts  of  the  Egyptian  min 
ister  to  effect  a  circuitous  entrance  into  the 
apartment  through  the  air-shaft  signally 
failed ;  so  Mrs.  de  Trow  ordered  the  repast 
spread  on  the  staircase,  thus  originating  a 
style  of  entertainment  which,  under  the 
name  of  "  soupers  a  Tescalier"  subsequently 
became  the  rage. 

The  unconventional  manner  of  service 
led  the  guests  to  throw  off  the  restraints  of 
the  dining  room ;  and,  in  the  good  spirits 


84  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

that  reigned,  the  devotions  of  Signor  de 
Maracovini  to  Mrs.  Asher  came  in  for  their 
fair  share  of  banter. 

Now  Mr.  Pettigrew  did  not  attribute  any 
particular  meaning  to  this  devotion,  yet 
allusion  to  it  irritated  him  and  increased 
his  own  sense  of  remoteness  from  the  lady. 
It  accentuated  the  fact  that  his  own  chances 
were  rather  receding  than  advancing ;  and 
that  with  the  attentions  of  which  she  was 
the  recipient  from  every  quarter,  the  like 
lihood  of  her  giving  favorable  ear  to  any 
suit  of  his  was  diminishing.  Two  courses 
were,  therefore,  presented  to  him,  namely, 
to  speak  at  once,  or  to  wait  till  it  was  too 
late  to  speak  at  all.  Amid  the  restless 
tossings  of  a  sleepless  night,  he  decided  on 
the  former  course,  and  to  delay  no  longer 
than  the  morrow. 


XIII. 

MB.  PETTIGREW  OFFERS  HIS  HAND  TO  MRS. 
ASHER  AND  GRAPHICALLY  PORTRAYS 
THE  IDEAL  AMERICAN  HUSBAND. 

Now,  the  secret  spring  of  Mr.  Pettigrew's 
every  action  as  we  know  was  pride  in  his 
embassy.  It  remains  to  be  explained  what 
this  pride  cost  him.  To  be  explicit  many 
of  those  restorations  and  repairs  in  connec 
tion  with  the  embassy  not  strictly  necessary 
from  the  standpoint  of  Washington  were 
yet  essential  from  his  and  had  consequently 
been  done  at  his  own  expense.  For  in 
stance,  the  carpeting  of  the  corridors — the 
repainting  of  the  woodwork — the  rebinding 
of  all  the  official  documents. 

With  so  many  demands  of  a  public 
nature  on  his  slender  salary,  Mr.  Pettigrew 
was  yet  expected  to  live  up  to  a  certain 
standard.  Consequently  recourse  had  to 
be  had  to  the  most  distressing  little  expedi 
ents  to  make  both  ends  meet.  These  ex 
tended  to  his  very  apparel,  and  his  precise 
and  formal  manner  were  actually  attributed 


86  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

by  his  enemies  (for  Mr.  Pettigrew  had 
enemies)  to  the  complicated  part  played  by 
pins  in  his  underwear.  Talk  of  your 
heroes  willing  to  die  for  their  country ! 
How  many  would  live  for  it  on  short  com 
mons  ?  Life  to  Mr.  Pettigrew  was  one  long 
sacrifice  to  his  ideal,  and  if  a  tenderer  senti 
ment  had  crept  into  his  suit,  we  must 
remember  that  it  had  been  inspired  by  the 
patriotic  consideration  of  the  luster  his 
acquisition  of  Mrs.  Asher  would  shed  on 
the  embassy,  and  in  consequence  on  the 
name  of  America  among  the  nations. 

Now,  the  toilet  of  such  a  man  is  a  mat 
ter  of  no  little  difficulty,  and  the  excuse 
for  this  long  digression  is  that,  while  in  the 
act  of  dressing  next  morning,  an  argument 
occurred  to  Mr.  Pettigrew  which,  if  prop 
erly  urged  and  emphasized,  he  thought 
might  better  influence  his  fair  compatriot 
than  any  plea  connected  with  the  embassy. 
It  was  none  other  than  the  superiority  in 
the  way  of  domesticity  of  American  hus 
bands  over  those  of  any  other  nationality 
or  race. 

On  the  eve  of  any  important  step  in  life, 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  87 

Mr.  Pettigrew  strained  a  point  and  break 
fasted  sumptuously,  recognizing  that  the 
extravagance  was  amply  repaid  in  the 
increased  confidence  with  which  a  generous 
meal  inspired  him.  His  plan  of  action 
decided  upon,  he  repaired  to  Voisin's  at 
twelve  o'clock.  Oh,  the  ecstasy  of  such  a 
breakfast  as  he  ordered  !  As  it  progresses 
you  feel  the  good  cheer  warming  the 
cockles  of  your  heart,  penetrating  the 
innermost  recesses  of  your  diaphragm,  and 
filling  you  with  a  gentle  hopefulness  that 
puts  the  world  at  your  feet. 

A  French  clief  once  remarked  that  with 
the  advent  of  the  republic  his  divine  in 
spiration  had  evaporated;  that  the  dull 
monotony  of  democracy,  with  its  principles 
of  equality,  which  reduced  everything  to  the 
same  dead  level  of  commonplace,  had  first 
affected  cooking,  and,  through  cooking,  was 
destined  to  destroy  all  the  minor  arts — 
literature,  painting,  music,  and  the  drama, 
— of  which  his  own  was  the  true  and  god 
like  parent.  Very  likely  he  was  right ;  but 
I  think  there  is  something  in  the  very  air 
of  Paris  which,  despite  the  form  of  govern- 


88  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

ment,  appeals  to  every  sense  and  quickens 
every  appetite. 

Mr.  Pettigrew,  having  finished  his  break, 
fast,  left  the  restaurant.  All  the  world 
seemed  couleur  de  rose  and  scented  with 
the  fumes  of  chateau  la  rose.  He  took  a 
cab  and  drove  up  the  Boulevard  des  Ita- 
liens;  and,  as  he  went,  he  "forgot  that 
reclining  against  the  cushions  tended  to 
make  shiny  the  back  of  his  frock  coat. 
That  it  deranged  the  mechanism  of  his 
improvised  shirt-front  to  turn  his  head  too 
far  to  the  right  or  the  left.  He  forgot  that 
holding  his  leg  so  displayed  a  needle 
mark  in  his  best  trousers;  but  in  his 
oblivion  of  all  these  little  economies  and 
regulations  of  his  daily  life  he  was  happy. 
He  rehearsed,  sotto  voce  the  role  of  the 
ideal  American  husband  till  he  had  it 
by  heart,  insisting  on  the  virtues  of  the 
type,  the  domesticity,  the  subordination 
of  every  longing  and  desire  to  those  of 
the  wife,  until  he  actually  lost  himself 
in  the  part.  Ah,  what  a  husband  he 
would  make  with  such  a  woman  and 
such  a  fortune !  Life  would  be  as  smooth 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  89 

as  the  pavements  over  which  he  was  now 
gliding,  and  as  pleasant  as  the  sights  about 
him.  Mrs.  Asher  knew  exactly  what  he 
had  come  for  before  he  entered  the  room. 
A  woman's  instinct  can  tell  these  things 
by  the  very  sound  of  the  bell — the  knock 
at  the  door — the  stepfall  on  the  carpet. 
She  received  him  kindly,  nay  sympatheti 
cally,  letting  her  hand  linger  in  his,  and 
looking  into  his  expressionless  eyes  with 
deep  meaning. 

Mr.  Pettigrew  rightly  imagined  himself  a 
man  of  action — one  of  those  who  seize 
their  opportunities.  Encouraged  by  her 
manner,  he  deemed  it  better  to  come  at 
once  to  the  point  than  to  risk  a  possible 
interruption  through  circumlocution. 

"Mrs.  Asher,"  he  said,  "I  have  come 
to  talk  on  a  matter  that  is  very  near  my 
heart";  and  he  laid  his  hand  over  that 
organ,  regardless  of  his  determination  to 
confine  himself  to  argument  alone.  "I 
hope  you  will  not  consider  me  abrupt  if  I 
say  that  ever  since  that  evening  when 
you  told  me  of  your  friendlessness,  I  have 
thought  of  nothing  but  you.  From  that 


90  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

moment  you  have  occupied  my  every 
thought.  I  resolved  to  prove  to  you  that 
you  could  always  rely  on  me :  that  I  would 
always  be  a  true  friend.  Is  it  surprising 
that  friendship  has  at  last  become  too  cold 
a  role?  My  dear  Mrs.  Asher,  I  cannot 
offer  you  wealth,  or  youth,  or  a  great  posi 
tion,  but  I  can  offer  you  the  security  of  a 
devoted  attachment  which  may  protect 
you  from  the  designing  schemes  of  the 
people  about  you"  (Mr.  Pettigrew  could 
not  resist  this  little  dig  at  his  rivals). 
"  Mrs.  Asher,  I  think  you  will  admit,  after 
what  you  have  seen  of  the  world,  that  we 
Americans  make  better  husbands  than  any 
other  nationality.  Consider  our  submis 
sion  :  reflect  how  we  toil  that  our  wives 
may  shine.  Note  our  domestic  habits — 
our  subordination  of  every  longing  and 
desire  to  that  of  our  wives,  and  then  decide 
whether  a  life-long  devotion  and  homage 
from  one  of  us  is  not  better  than  rank, 
title,  or  riches."  And  a  look  of  anguish, 
coming  across  the  suitor's  face  opportunely, 
gave  the  exact  emphasis  required  for  such 
an  appeal,  though  it  was  only  caused  by 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  91 

the  derangement  of  a  pin  in  the  back  of 
his  collar. 

In  Mrs.  Asher's  face  the  expression  of 
sympathy  deepened ;  perhaps  she  discerned 
that  his  pain  was  real,  and  pitied  him. 
She  put  her  two  hands  on  his.  "  My  dear 
friend,"  she  murmured,  "  you  affect  me 
strangely  by  what  you  have  just  said.  I 
am  deeply  sensible  of  your  worth,  and  of 
the  prize  that  you  offer  me;  for  I  have 
experienced  the  devoted  attachment  of 
our  men,  and  can  appreciate  them  at  their 
true  value  as  husbands.  But  I  know  you 
will  not  wish  me  to  decide  too  quickly. 
You  must  give  me  time — time  to  consider 
the  inestimable  boon  you  lay  before  me. 
In  the  meanwhile  I  must  be  absolutely  free. 
Should  I  find  the  inclinations  I  now  feel 
toward  you  become  less  pronounced  than 
they  at  present  seem,  you  will  forgive  me, 
I  know,  and  not  consider  that  I  have 
trifled  with  your  affections.  A  woman 
should  not  be  urged  to  act  upon  the  im 
pulse  of  the  moment." 

Mr.  Pettigrew  departed  in  a  condition 
not  far  removed  from  ecstasy.  He  had 


92  FRIENDS  IF  EXILE. 

secured  so  much  more  than  he  had  ex 
pected.  Therefore  he  could  view  with 
equanimity  Senor  de  Maracovini,  who  hap 
pened  to  be  entering  the  house  as  he  left, 
and  could,  moreover,  feel  for  the  Sardinian 
a  little  generous  pity. 

"  She  would  not  act  on  impulse."  This 
meant  that  her  impulses  were,  of  course,  in 
his  direction,  and  that  she  regarded  as 
tempting  the  offer  he  had  made.  Her 
words  must  mean,  that  at  the  present 
moment,  he  was  beloved. 

How  such  a  recognition  raises  a  man 
in  his  own  esteem !  As  Mr.  Pettigrew 
walked  homeward  his  head  was  in  the 
clouds.  Who  can  blame  him  if  his  happi 
ness  over  her  avowal  were  not  entirely  con 
fined  to  patriotic  considerations? 


XIV. 

MRS.  DE  TROW  DINES  TETE-A-TETE  WITH  HER 
ADORER  AT  A  PARIS  RESTAURANT  AND 
THEY  DISCOURSE  ON  THE  POPE?S  ENCY 
CLICAL. 

YET  it  was  the  vicomte's  chances  which 
were  considered  the  best.  His  curricle 
drove  up  and  down  her  street  every  day, 
and  at  the  parade  of  the  four-in-hand  club 
Mrs.  Asher  certainly  occupied  the  box  seat 
by  his  side,  much  to  the  annoyance  of  Mr. 
Pettigrew  and  Signor  de  Maracovini,  who 
rode  on  a  back  seat  of  the  coach  just 
behind. 

A  circumstance  that  puzzled  the  vicomte, 
captivated  the  English  attache,  caused  Sar 
dines  to  marvel,  and  troubled  Pettigrew, 
was  the  acumen  she  displayed  in  regard  to 
horses.  While  neither  by  garb  nor  accent 
suggesting  that  most  disillusioning  type  of 
femininity,  a  horsey  woman,  she  yet  evinced 
an  equine  knowledge  that  set  every  one  to 
wondering  where  and  how  she  could  have 
acquired  it,  naming  three  consecutive  win 
ners  on  the  day  of  the  Grand  Prix. 
Signor  de  Maracovini,  however,  continued 


94  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

his  attentions  to  her,  regardless  of  the 
vicomte  and  Mr.  Pettigrew;  and  while 
Mrs.  de  Trow  would  never  have  admitted, 
even  to  herself,  that  these  attentions  could 
excite  in  her  breast  so  vulgar  a  sensation 
as  jealousy,  they  nevertheless  irritated  her. 
Women,  more  than  men,  I  think,  are  prone 
to  estimate  value  according  to  demand,  and 
only  require  the  object  of  their  regard  to 
seem  wavering  in  his  allegiance  in  order 
to  advance  their  bids. 

Thus  one  afternoon,  when  Mrs.  de  Trow 
noticed  her  lover  cold  and  preoccupied,  she 
rashly  proposed,  as  a  means  of  reviving  his 
waning  interest,  that  he  take  her  to  dine  tete- 
d-tete  at  one  of  the  restaurants  on  the  Boule 
vards,  naming  an  evening  in  the  near  future 
which  would  be  agreeable  to  her.  Though 
Mrs.  de  Trow  was  one  of  those  fortunate 
women  who  can  fly  in  the  face  of  conven 
tionality  without  incurring  the  hostile  criti 
cism  of  the  world,  she  nevertheless  rather 
repented  of  this  suggestion  as  the  time  of 
her  appointment  approached.  Had  it  not 
been  for  her  maid,  she  might  have  sent  an 
excuse  at  the  last  moment. 


„  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  95 

Mrs.  de  Trow,  of  course,  did  not  explain 
her  intentions  to  her  attendant,  merely  stat 
ing  that  she  was  to  dine  en  mile  /  but, 
when  she  ordered  a  certain  dark  toilette 
laid  out  together  with  a  black  bonnet  and 
a  heavy  blue  veil,  filise  divined  what  was 
up,  and  lent  such  cheerful  encouragement 
that  the  adventure  seemed  robbed  of  any 
danger.  Perhaps  Signor  de  Maracovini 
had  purchased  her  co-operation. 

Now  Mrs.  de  Trow  made  a  point  of 
maintaining  an  inviolable  secrecy  from  her 
husband  touching  her  engagements  with 
the  other  sex.  The  necessity  of  this  course 
was  a  pleasing  fiction,  since  Mr.  de  Trow 
had  long  ago  given  up  the  attempt  to  exer 
cise  any  control  over  madame,  having  yet 
that  absolute  confidence  in  her  capacity  to 
take  care  of  herself  that  reconciled  him  to 
his  loss  of  authority. 

This  evening,  however,  she  herself  gave 
her  secret  away,  as  she  deemed  it  prudent 
to  replenish  her  pocketbook  against  any 
unforeseen  contingency. 

"  Wouldn't  you  like  to  know  where  I 
am  going  ? "  she  asked  lightly,  as  she  put 


96  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

the  hundred-franc  bill  her  spouse  gave 
her  in  one  of  those  mysterious  receptacles 
hidden  away  between  flounce  and  bustle 
where  women  carry  their  money. 

"  Oh,  certainly,  my  dear,"  said  Mr.  de 
Trow.  "  I  always  like  to  know  where  you 
are  going." 

"  But  suppose  you  should  not  approve, 
then  you'd  be  sorry  to  learn,  and  you  would 
have  gained  nothing  by  my  indulgence." 

"That's  true,"  replied  monsieur  philo 
sophically.  "So  perhaps  you  had  better 
not  confide  in  me." 

The  answer  irritated  the  lady. 

"  I  think  I  will  tell  you  though,"  she  re 
turned  a  trifle  recklessly.  "  I  am  going  to 
dine  with  Signor  de  Maracovini  at  Bignon's 
ttte-brtite.  What  do  you  think  of  that  ? " 

"  Poor  fellow ! "  sighed  Mr.  de  Trow. 
"As  for  me,  I  am  going  to  have  a  comfort 
able  dinner  at  home.  But  what  time  is 
your  engagement  for  ? " 

"Eight  o'clock." 

"  Eight  o'clock,"  replied  Mr.  de  Trow, 
looking  at  his  watch.  "Well,  my  dear,  if 
you're  really  going,  I'd  advise  your  starting 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE  97 

soon  or  you'll  be  late.  It's  now  gone  half 
past  seven." 

The  idea  of  setting  forth  on  such  an  out 
ing  under  these  discouragingly  encouraging 
conditions  !  The  reply  was  too  much  for 
the  lady's  equanimity. 

"  Percival,  do  you  know,  I  think  you  the 
most  provoking  person  I  ever  saw." 

"  And  why  am  I  provoking  ?  "  he  asked 
in  natural  surprise. 

"  Because  there  are  times  when  a  woman 
longs  for  opposition.  Far  better  to  be 
sworn  at,  reviled,  beaten,  than  to  receive 
this  flabby  acquiescence  that  always  meets 
my  most  startling  proposal." 

"  That's  only  the  pleasing  delusion  of  a 
woman  who  has  never  been  subjected  to 
the  treatment  you  describe,"  interjected 
Mr.  de  Trow. 

Mrs.  de  Trow  failed  to  notice  the  deep 
philosophy  of  the  remark.  "  You  have  no 
spirit,"  she  continued.  "  I  sometimes  feel 
you  will  drive  me  to  the  divorce  courts." 

The  idea  of  a  woman  claiming  a  divorce 
from  her  husband  because  she  was  not 
dragged  about  the  floor  by  the  hair  of  her 


98  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

head,  is  one  of  the  most  singular  evidences 
of  feminine  inconsistency  that  I  know  of. 
Poor  Mr.  de  Trow's  patience  was  nearly 
exhausted,  however,  and  he  failed  to  see 
the  situation  in  its  true  absurdity. 

"  Now  look  here,  Dora,"  he  exclaimed 
petulantly.  "I  know  what  your  object  is. 
Simply  to  increase  your  own  enjoyment 
this  evening  by  feeling  you  have  destroyed 
mine." 

"  I  deny  it,"  said  Mrs.  de  Trow.  "  I  wish 
you  to  object.  I  want  you  to  put  your 
foot  down  and,  with  a  great  big  round 
'd-a-m,'  say  I  shall  not  go  to  dine  with  any 
man  alone." 

"But  what  would  be  the  use?  My 
objections  would  have  no  effect." 

"  Yes  they  would.  They  would  heighten 
my  satisfaction  in  going.  As  it  is,  you 
have  robbed  my  entire  evening  of  its  spice ; 
but  good-night,  you'll  be  sorry  some  day, 
Percival ;  good-night,"  and  at  last,  appre 
ciating  that  she  really  would  be  late  if  she 
lingered  longer,  she  swept  her  husband's 
cheek  with  a  forgiving  kiss  and  departed. 

She  found  the   Sardinian   walking  im- 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  99 

patiently  up  and  down  the  stuffy  little 
room  on  the  entresol  where  he  had  ordered 
dinner.  Red  morocco  lounges  ran  around 
the  sides  of  the  apartment.  It  was  low 
ceiled,  and  over  the  backs  of  the  lounges 
were  successions  of  mirrors. 

Mrs.  de  Trow  uttered  a  little  scream  as 
she  caught  sight  of  the  muffled  blackness 
of  her  figure  reflected  in  the  mirror.  Why 
is  it  that  women,  when  keeping  a  clandes 
tine  appointment,  so  frequently  indulge  in 
a  profusion  of  lugubrious-hued  wrappings  ? 
Do  they  consider  them  inconspicuous,  and 
so  hope  to  escape  observation  ?  So  heavy 
were  Mrs.  de  Trow's,  so  funereal  her  general 
appearance,  that  a  gloom  fell  upon  her 
admirer  as  he  unwound  her.  It  was  as  if 
she  had  put  on  mourning  in  advance  for  an 
expected  loss  of  innocence.  Though  she 
laughed  when  the  last  fold  was  unwound, 
her  very  attire  seemed  to  confirm  her  pre 
vious  doubts  as  to  the  propriety  of  her  con 
duct;  and,  by  some  feminine  instinct,  she 
avoided  during  the  repast  any  reference  to 
the  communion  of  congenial  souls,  and 
absolutely  refused  to  discuss  the  passions, 


100  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

endeavoring  to  keep  the  conversation 
within  the  safer  limits  of  her  companion's 
boyhood,  the  suppression  of  brigandage  in 
Sardinia,  and  the  effect  on  Italy  of  the 
Pope's  last  encyclical — of  the  contents  of 
which,  it  may  be  added,  she  knew  abso 
lutely  nothing. 

Now,  for  a  young  man  to  accept  from  a 
pretty  woman  (and  one  quite  old  enough 
to  know  beforehand  what  her  condescen 
sion  means)  an  invitation  to  dine  at  a  Paris 
restaurant,  and  then  to  be  confined  to  such 
inconsequential  topics  as  the  Pope's  en 
cyclical,  is  out  of  all  reason,  and  he  has,  it 
seems,  just  cause  of  grievance.  Every 
attempt  on  his  part,  however,  to  bring  the 
conversation  around  to  more  congenial  lines 
failed.  At  the  introduction  of  the  coffee 
and  liqueurs,  he  had  got  no  further  than 
the  general  disarmament  of  Europe,  which 
was  the  turn  she  gave  to  an  allusion  to  the 
passions — persisting  in  regarding  these  from 
an  international  standpoint  which  made 
their  transition  to  an  innocuous  condition 
natural  and  praiseworthy. 

At  last,  unable  to  bear  the  strain  longer, 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  101 

he  arose  from  his  seat  and  angrily  surveyed 
her. 

"  Why  is  it,  madanie,  that  you  keep  me  at 
such  arm's  length  ? "  he  said.  "  When  you 
are  in  your  own  house,  you  talk  much  about 
the  communion  of  two  spirits  that  are  fitted 
for  each  other.  You  speak  about  the 
romance  of  the  soul ;  but,  when  there  is  the 
opportunity  of  conversing  on  these  subjects 
by  ourselves  and  undisturbed,  you  begin 
about  the  politics  of  Europe.  Do  you  not 
see  that  you  are  driving  me  to  despair? 
My  spirit  is  always  ready,  but  yours  is 
always  in  retreat." 

Mrs.  de  Trow  sighed. 

"Like  the  coffin  of  Mahomet,  I  dangle 
between  the  heaven  and  the  earth  because 
of  you,"  the  young  man  went  on,  "  with  no 
expectation  of  finding  a  houri  in  heaven 
who  will  cause  me  to  forget." 

This  was  a  sad,  if  indiscreet,  admission, 
and  too  obviously  pointing  at  Mrs.  Asher 
for  Mrs.  de  Trow  to  ignore.  "  Can't  you 
be  generous  ? "  he  continued.  "  You  lead 
me  like  a  horse  to  the  water,  and  when  I 
would  drink,  you  pull  away  the  pond." 


102  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

Mixed  as  was  the  metaphor,  there  was  a 
world  of  truth  in  the  protest. 

Mrs.  de  Trow  sighed  again.  "  Ah,  my 
poor  young  friend,  you  know  not  what  you 
ask.  You  forget  the  grave  responsibilities 
you  would  be  incurring  if,  if — I  allowed 
myself  to  return  your  affection." 

"  For  your  sake  I  am  ready  to  incur  any 
responsibility — for  your  sake  any  risks," 
magnanimously  continued  the  Sardinian. 
"What  is  life  worth  without  affection? 
Love  is  divine.  It  raises  one  to  the  gods. 
I  have  often  heard  you  remark  so  your 
self." 

"True." 

When  a  woman  under  such  circum 
stances  makes  use  of  that  little  expression 
"  true,"  a  man  may  as  well  strike  his  colors 
and  acknowledge  his  defeat.  It  is  the  thin 
end  of  argument's  wedge,  and  has  a  pain 
fully  cool,  unimpassioned  sound.  Far  bet 
ter  a  yawn.  The  most  encouraging  reply 
is  a  sigh  breathed  gently. 

"  True,"  murmured  Mrs.  de  Trow,  "  but 
the  sacrifice  would  be  all  on  my  side." 

After  "  true  "  invariably  comes  a  "  but." 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  103 

"  Ah !  now  I  have  your  admission,"  he 
cried.  "  It  is  only  about  yourself  that  you 
care.  Why  can  you  not  think  a  little  of 
ine?  Why  can  you  give  up  nothing  for 

one  who  loves "  And,  before  she  could 

check  him,  he  threw  himself  upon  his  knees, 
and  endeavored  to  draw  her  hand  to  his 
lips.  Mrs.  de  Trow  at  last  appreciated  the 
gravity  of  the  situation. 

"  Oh,  rise,  rise,  and  spare  me,  young  sir ! " 
she  cried.  "You  rend  my  feelings.  See, 
you  make  me  weep." 

Mrs.  de  Trow  was  really  agitated.  That 
she  had  suffered  such  a  liberty  to  be  taken 
with  herself  wounded  her  amour  propre. 
And  yet,  her  kindly  heart  was  touched. 
She  felt  for  this  warm,  impetuous  young 
man.  Faintly,  too,  her  conscience 
reproached  her,  and  she  asked  herself 
whether  she  was  not  in  some  slight  degree 
culpable  for  the  encouragement  she  had 
given  him.  Then,  hearing  the  waiter 
shuffling  outside  the  door — French  serv 
ants  are  always  discreet,  and  never  enter 
without  some  little  warning — she  took  a 
glass  from  the  table  and  filling  it  from  a 


104  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

siphon  of  seltzer,  gently  presented  the 
cooling  draught  to  her  lover.  He  rose  from 
his  knees  and  angrily  dashed  it  to  the  floor. 
Thereupon,  Mrs.  de  Trow  herself  rose, 
calmly  summoned  the  attendant,  and  replac 
ing  her  wraps  about  her  chaste  shoulders, 
in  the  most  unrumed  tone  of  voice,  bade 
her  companion  conduct  her  down  to  her 
cab. 

Yes,  Mr.  de  Trow  was  right.  His  con 
fidence  in  his  wife's  ability  to  take  care  of 
herself  under  any  circumstances  was  well 
founded. 


XV. 

THE    VICOMTE     PEEPARES     HIS    OWN    PETARD. 

How  extraordinary  are  the  links  of  des 
tiny  in  the  chain  of  human  events !  It 
happened  that  the  vicomte  dined  the  very 
next  evening  in  the  same  little  private 
room  of  the  same  restaurant,  and  was,  more 
over,  served  by  the  identical  attendant  who 
served  the  Sardinian  and  his  fair  friend. 
The  vicomte,  however,  dined  alone,  as  the 
companion  he  expected  failed  to  appear. 

French  waiters,  besides  being  discreet, 
are  sympathetic — particularly  in  such  cases 
as  these.  Desirous  of  consoling  the  soli 
tary  guest,  he  gave  him,  with  the  exception 
of  Mrs.  de  Trow's  name  (which  he  did  not 
know),  the  full  particulars  of  her  dinner 
with  Signor  de  Maracovini,  and  described 
in  picturesque  language  the  prominent 
part  played  by  the  glass  of  soda  water. 

Lacking  as  was  the  vicomte  in  humor, 
there  was  sufficient  in  the  story  to  excite 
his  amusement ;  and,  on  his  return  home,  he 

105 


106  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

communicated  it,  for  want  of  a  better  con 
fidant;  to  his  valet,  with  whom,  in  spite  of 
his  frequent  revilings,  he  was  really  on  the 
best  of  terms. 

By  a  combination  of  coincidences  that 
would  seem  unlikely  in  fiction,  but  are 
always  happening  in  real  life,  the  valet  had 
lately  been  enjoying  a  little  flirtation  with 
Mrs.  de  Trow's  maid,  so  he  communicated 
the  story  to  her  as  she  did  to  her  mistress. 
Thus  it  was  brought  back  to  the  ears  of 
one  of  the  principal  actors  in  the  drama. 

Now  Mrs.  de  Trow,  though  always  caus 
ing  others  amusement,  was  as  deficient  in 
any  appreciation  of  humor  as  was  the 
vicomte  himself,  or,  as  for  that,  as  are 
women  generally.  She  saw  but  the  tragic 
side  of  the  affair,  i.  e.,  the  danger  of  its 
reaching  the  ear  of  the  Sardinian  ambas. 
sador,  and  affecting  the  future  career  of  her 
indiscreet  companion — for  she  knew  that 
there  had  been  a  state  dinner  at  his  embassy 
that  same  evening,  and  that  he  had  urged 
illness  as  an  excuse  for  his  absence.  She 
alone  was  responsible  for  his  breach  of 
official  courtesy.  Was  it  not  her  duty  to 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  107 

try  and  suppress  the  story  before  it  fairly 
took  wing  ?  She  reasoned  it  all  out  in  her 
own  mind.  The  Sardinian  would  certainly 
resent  the  vicomte's  talking,  and  there 
might  be  a  duel.  In  any  event  he  would, 
very  likely,  lose  his  post.  "Was  it  fair  to 
put  him  in  such  a  situation  ? 

There  was  a  faint  flavor  of  romance 
about  Mrs.  de  Trow.  She  did  not  love 
the  secretary,  but  she  loved  to  think  she 
did.  Indeed,  there  was  very  little  Mrs. 
de  Trow  did  love  besides  sensation.  She 
would  send  for  the  vicomte  and  try  to 
induce  him  not  to  repeat  the  tale.  She 
would  throw  herself  on  his  mercy  in  behalf 
of  her  friend.  There  was  something  exhil 
arating  in  the  mere  thought  of  the  self- 
sacrifice  she  was  making  in  confiding  her 
reputation  to  a  man.  Before  reconsidera 
tion  could  change  her  purpose,  she  dis 
patched  a  note  to  the  H6tel  de  la  Vieille 
Koche  urging  the  vicomte  to  call  at  once, 
upon  a  matter  of  the  most  pressing  mo 
ment. 

Somewhat  startled,  the  young  man 
appeared  before  an  hour  had  elapsed. 


108  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

"  Madame,  you<Io  me  great  honor  by  this 
summons,"  he  said  in  his  jerky  way. 

"  Oh,  I  pass  over  your  irony,"  she  cried. 
"  I  have  asked  you  to  come  in  order  that 
I  might  throw  myself  on  your  gener 
osity." 

"Might  it  not  be  better  to- select  a 
chair  ?  "  he  asked  ;  then,  as  she  took  a  seat, 
"  and  now,  madame,  will  you  not  have  the 
kindness  to  specify  your  reasons  for  send 
ing  for  me ; "  for  the  vicomte  hated  being 
called  out  before  twelve  o'clock  and  he, 
moreover,  began  to  suspect  that  the  impor 
tance  of  the  summons  had  been  exag 
gerated. 

"  It  is  to  ask  you  to  refrain  from  making 
any  further  allusions  to — to  Mr.  de  Mara- 
covini's  dining  the  night  before  last  at 
Bignon's." 

"And  why  so?" 

Mrs.  de  Trow  blushed.  "Because  he 
ought  to  have  dined  at  his  embassy,  and,  if 
the  cause  of  his  absence  leaks  out,  it  might 
injure  his  career." 

"Signor  de  Maracovini  is  fortunate  in 
having  such  a  champion ;  but,  except  for 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  109 

your  interest,  I  hardly  see  what  his  career 
is  to  me,  madame." 

Mrs.  de  Trow,  perceiving  that  her  visitor 
was  obdurate,  resolved  upon  a  grand  and 
heroic  course.  She  rose  and  drew  herself 
up  to  her  full  height. 

"  Monsieur  le  Vicomte,  if  you  go  on  re 
peating  this  story,  it  may  compromise  me. 
You  are  a  gentleman,  and  I  can  trust  to 
your  honor." 

"  Madame,  no  man  can  ever  compromise 
you." 

"  It  would  be  discovered  that  we  were 
dining  together,"  said  Mrs.  de  Trow  trag 
ically. 

"Never  mind,  madame,  you  could  dine 
with  a  regiment  without  anyone  ever 
suspecting  you  of  wrong."  (A  regi 
ment  was  a  favorite  expression  of  the 
vicomte's.) 

"  And  why  so,  sir  ? "  inquired  the  lady,  a 
little  tartly. 

"Because  madame  possesses  a  greater 
purity  than  the  driven  snow." 

"  Greater  than  the  driven  snow ? " 

"  Precisely,  for  snow  sometimes  melts," 


110  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

-  "  But  what  will  the  world  say  ?  It  will 
not  be  so  lenient." 

"  It  will  say  exactly  what  I  have  said." 

Somehow  the  reply  irritated  Mrs.  de 
Trow,  but  she  turned  it  off. 

"  You  believe,  then,  that  I  am  incapable 
of  experiencing  a  grand  passion.  You  be 
lieve  that  I  am  cold,  heartless,  cruel,  per 
fidious,  or  " — and  Mrs.  de  Trow  expressed 
in  her  eyes  as  near  an  approach  to  resent 
ment  as  the  generosity  of  her  soul  would 
permit — "  do  you  mean  to  insinuate  that  I 
am  incapable  of  inspiring  a  grand  pas 
sion  ?" 

"  Madame,  with  you  there  is  nothing  im 
possible — not  even  that." 

"  Then  let  me  beg  of  you  to  keep  this 
story  to  yourself,"  she  went  on  volubly. 
"  Oh,  sir,  have  you  never  known  what  it  is 
to  love  ?  Have  you  never  experienced  the 
communion  of  two  souls  that  are  fitted  one 
to  the  other  ? " 

"  Common  report  has  told  me  much  about 
it,"  replied  the  young  man  meaningly. 

"  Then  promise  you  will  not  disturb  this 
sweet  communion  of  ours  ;  promise  me  that 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  Ill 

you  will  be  magnanimous,  for  you  must 
remember,  in  injuring  this  poor  boy  you 
injure  me ;  and  in  striking  him  you  strike 
through  a  woman's  breast ; "  and  Mme.  de 
Trow,  carried  away  by  the  situation, 
placed  her  hands  upon  her  generously 
proportioned  bosom. 

"  Madame,  I  will  not  repeat  the  story ; 
my  silence  will  be  but  a  small  return  for 
the  best  little  comedy  I  have  witnessed  in 
many  a  day.  Madame  has  missed  her  voca 
tion.  The  boards  of  the  Palais  Royal  are 
alone  the  proper  field  for  such  histrionic 
talents." 

The  vicomte  withdrew,  leaving  Mrs.  de 
Trow  mistress  of  the  field.  She  had  gained 
her  point,  as  she  generally  did,  and  the 
story  went  no  further;  but  the  viconite's 
manner,  as  much  as  his  words,  rankled. 

Though  not  a  vindictive  woman,  she  was, 
as  we  shall  see,  capable  of  repaying  any 
little  slight ;  and  the  vicomte  was  destined 
to  repent  in  sackcloth  and  ashes  his  injury 
to  this  woman's  pride. 


XVI. 

MB.    JACKSON    YIELDS   TO    MRS.    ASHER's    PER 
SUASIONS    IN    A   DELICATE   MATTER. 

AMONG  all  the  balls  which  enlivened  the 
season,  that  of  the  Princess  de  Xamarinda 
had  been  the  most  eagerly  anticipated.  It 
was  given  in  honor  of  royalty. 

That  Mrs.  Asher  was  included  as  a 
guest  followed  as  a  natural  consequence 
upon  her  chaperonage  by  the  marquise.  It 
was  to  insure  the  acceptance  of  Mrs.  Jack 
son  that  she  stopped  one  morning  to  see 
that  lady,  and  was  sufficiently  fortunate  to 
find  his  excellency  instead. 

"  Of  course  you  are  both  going  to  this 
ball,"  she  said. 

"I  hadn't  thought  much  about  it,"  re 
plied  the  ambassador,  "  but  I  suppose  we 
shall  drop  in  for  a  few  moments." 

"  I'm  so  glad.  Perhaps  you  will  let  me 
go  in  with  you  if  I  meet  Mrs.  Jackson  in 
the  dressing  room.  I  do  so  hate  entering 

112 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  113 

these  crowded  ball-rooms  alone,"  she  con 
tinued.  "  It  seems  so  bold  and  brazen." 

"  Certainly,  my  dear ;  I  can  quite  under 
stand  your  feelings.  Mrs.  Jackson  will  be 
very  happy  to  chaperon  you." 

"  Thanks  so  much.  I  am  also  going  to 
ask  you  another  favor.  You  promise  be 
forehand  not  to  be  offended?"  and  she 
looked  up  at  him  in  her  confiding  way. 

"And  what  is  that?" 

"Why,  that  you  get  a  new  dress  coat. 
You  are  not  angry  that  I  take  a  pride  in 
your  appearance  ? " 

Mr.  Jackson  hardly  knew  whether  to  be 
annoyed  or  not ;  but  there  was  so  much  of 
the  bright  spontaneity  of  the  child  about 
this  woman  that  he  could  hardly  treat  her 
otherwise  than  as  a  child. 

"  Why,  my  dear,"  he  said,  "  I  have  worn 
hat  coat  during  a  large  part  of  my  public 
career,  and  what  is  appropriate  for  the 
White  House " 

"Tut — tut — tut — I  once  went  to  the 
White  House  and  saw  a  man  there  without 
any  coat  at  all.  When  you  are  in  Rome 
you  must  do  as  the  Romans  do.  They 


114  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

wear  coats  here,  and  they  wear  smart 
coats." 

"  I  have  heard  of  smart  men  and  I  have 
heard  of  smart  women,  but  I  must  confess 
I  never  heard  of  a  smart  coat." 

"  Well,  I  mean  one  of  a  later  cut — one 
that  will  show  you  off  to  the  best  advan 
tage.  I  grant  you  your  present  coat  carries 
with  it  a  certain  air  of  distinction,  but  it  is 
that  of  a  bygone  epoch,  and  makes  you 
look  far  older  than  you  have  a  right  to 
look.  I  fear  that  you  are  angry  and  think 
I  am  presumptuous  in  speaking  as  I  have, 
but  you  know  I  am  a  privileged  character." 

"  If  you  are  of  the  opinion,  my  dear,"  the 
ambassador  gravely  replied,  "that  my  per 
sonal  appearance  would  be  improved,  and 
that  so  the  interests  of  the  country  I  repre 
sent  might  be  furthered,  I  will  consider 
what  you  say." 

That  evening  Mr.  Jackson  thus  ad 
dressed  his  wife ;  "  I  have  been  thinking, 
Martha,  over  what  you  said  just  before  our 
leaving  Dianapolis  about  my  dress  coat. 
Perhaps  it  does  look  somewhat  antiquated, 
and  it  may  be  that  you  were  right  in 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  ll5 

urging  that,  as  the  dignity  of  the  country 
was  concerned,  I  should  order  a  new  one." 

"  Oh,  never  mind  the  coat,  Samuel.  I 
have  come  to  recognize  that  the  country 
has  a  truer  and  a  more  real  dignity  repre 
sented  by  you  in  that  coat  than  in  one 
made  by  the  most  fashionable  tailor.  Re 
member,  too,  you  wore  that  coat  at  our 
silver  wedding,  Samuel." 

"That's  true,  Martha;  but  I've  noticed 
that  it  looks  different  from  those  worn  by 
others,  and  it  does  not  do  to  be  excep 
tional.  The  coat  answered  very  well  for 
Washington,  where  they  are  less  conven 
tional  in  dress  than  here,  or,  I  should  say, 
where  they  make  more  allowances  for  one ; 
but  I  must  confess,  when  I  caught  sight  of 
myself  in  a  mirror  at  the  Elysee  the  other 
evening,  I  was  forcibly  reminded  of  the 
suggestive  expression,  '  a  back  number.'  I 
think,  all  things  considered,  I  shall  have  to 
order  a  new  one." 


XVII. 

THE    BALL    OF    A    PRINCESS    AND    WHAT   HAP 
PENED. 

THE  hotel  of  the  princess  was  one  of 
the  few  where  the  different  cliques  that 
constituted  the  great  world  of  Paris  met 
as  on  common  ground.  Republican  sena 
tors  and  ex-Imperialists,  representatives  of 
the  haute  noblesse  and  the  haute  finance, 
members  of  the  Institute,  too,  and  lesser 
lights  of  the  republic  of  letters,  all  sank 
their  differences  and  were  reduced  to  an 
amiable  fraternity  of  sentiment  under  the 
dual  influences  of  a  charming  hostess  and 
the  best  of  cooks. 

On  the  evening  of  the  ball  the  mansion 
resembled  a  scene  from  the  Arabian 
Nights.  Electric  lights  illuminated  the 
fountain  in  the  courtyard,  and  the  winter 
garden  and  terraces  were  hung  with  Chi 
nese  lanterns.  Halberdiers  in  mediaeval 
costume  lined  the  hall,  stamping  the  butts 
of  their  spears  on  the  floor  in  honor  of  the 
arriving  guests. 

116 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  117 

It  was  Lord  Duft'erin  who  claimed 
that  America  has  conquered  European  pre 
judice  through  her  daughters.  At  a  rough 
calculation,  the  wives  of  one-quarter  of  the 
guests  here  to-night — and  they  included 
some  of  the  greatest  names  of  Europe — 
were  born  on  our  side  of  the  Atlantic. 
Here  was  the  Duchess  de  R,  one  of  Michi 
gan's  fairest  flowers ;  here  the  Countess  de 
B.,  from  the  Pacific  slope ;  here  the  Mar 
quise  de  C.,  a  veritable  prairie  belle,  all 
filling  their  new  roles  with  a  grace  that 
was  the  envy  of  their  sisters  born  in  the 
purple.  Here,  too,  was  the  beautiful  Lady 
Summerset  de  Vere,  with  her  little  spouse 
trotting  admiringly  behind  her;  and  here 
was  Mrs.  O'Hagan  of  Hoshkosh,  mother  of 
the  hostess — a  determined  looking  woman 
of  sixty,  with  many  diamonds  and  much 
rouge.  Here,  too,  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jack 
son,  the  former  in  all  the  glory  of  a  new 
dress  coat,  and  the  latter  in  a  black  moire 
antique,  cut  square.  Besides  these,  there 
were  Mrs.  and  Mr.  de  Trow — the  former 
bursting  from  her  corsage  like  a  full-blown 
rose  from  its  petals,  and  the  latter  with  the 


118  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

order  of  the  Cincinnati  pinned  to  his  nar 
row  chest.  Here  also  was  Mr.  Petti- 
grew,  vainly  dreaming,  poor  man,  of  enroll 
ing  Mrs.  Asher  in  the  embassy ;  and  here, 
throwing  all  others  into  shadow,  was 
Mrs.  Asher  herself,  with  a  circle  of  dia 
monds  flashing  amid  the  golden  tresses 
of  her  hair. 

But  the  ball  was  principally  notewor 
thy  from  the  extraordinary  rumor  which 
would  seem  to  have  originated  here  to 
night.  Before  anyone  was  aware  who 
started  it,  everyone  was  discussing  it  and 
carrying  it  on.  It  was  to  the  effect  that 
the  recent  appearance  of  Mrs.  Asher  in 
the  great  world  was  not  unconnected 
with  the  liquidation  of  certain  gambling 
debts  of  the  Vicomte  de  Dindon.  Possi 
bly  the  ready  credence  given  to  the  story 
by  the  women  was  due  to  the  great  sensa 
tion  she  had  created  this  evening.  Roy 
alty  was  paying  her  marked  attention,  and 
this  stimulated  their  zeal  in  circulating  the 
rumor;  for,  though  women  have  much  of 
the  heroic  in  their  nature,  and  can  bear  far 
more  than  men  in  certain  ways,  the  devo- 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  119 

tion  of  royalty  to  one  of  their  own  sex  is 
beyond  their  equable  endurance. 

How  Mrs.  Asher  learned  what  was  being 
said  of  her  will  never  be  revealed,  but  the 
instinct  of  some  women  approaches  in  its 
keenness  a  sixth  sense.  After  supper  she 
made  the  vicomte  a  little  sign  to  come  to 
her.  Taking  his  arm,  she  led  him  out  to 
the  lantern-hung  garden  where,  between 
the  snatches  of  music  that  came  faintly  to 
them  from  the  ball-room,  she  communi 
cated  to  him  the  remarks  that  were  being 
made  about  them  both  ;  for  he  was  one  of 
the  few  who  had,  as  yet,  heard  nothing. 

"  I  thought  I  was  dealing  with  a  man  of 
honor,"  she  concluded. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  suspect  me  of  having 
said  anything  ? "  he  asked  in  natural  resent 
ment. 

"I  shall  have  to  hold  you  responsible 
till  you  discover  the  author  of  these  tales," 
she  replied  coldly,  and  then  she  bade  him 
conduct  her  back  to  the  house. 

"  I  wish  we  could  go  home  to  Dianapolis, 
Samuel,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Jackson  to  her 


120  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

husband,  as  they  were  returning  from  the 
ball. 

"  And  why  so,  mother  ? " 

"  Oh,  I  hardly  know.  I  sometimes  feel 
that  we  don't  fit  in  here ;  that,  in  spite  of 
all  the  attention  we  have  received,  we  are 
like  people  whom  despotic  governments 
used  to  send  out  of  their  own  countiy — 
exiles,  as  it  were." 

"  I  imagine  that  ninety-nine  per  cent,  of 
our  people  at  home  would  willingly  change 
places  with  us  in  our  exile." 

"That  may  be,  but  sometimes  I  go 
further  and  ask  myself  whether  it  is  right 
that  we  should  remain." 

"  And  why  should  it  not  be  right  ? " 

"It  is  difficult  to  explain,  Samuel.  I 
don't  wish  to  set  myself  up  on  a  pedestal, 
or  to  assume  a  monopoly  of  all  the  virtues, 
but  do  you  know,  it  sometimes  seems  to 
me,"  said  the  lady  impressively,  "that 
Paris  is  an  immoral  city.  At  least  people 
don't  have  the  same  way  of  looking  at 
things  here  as  at  Dianapolis.  Perhaps  I 
would  be  considered  old-fashioned,  but  it 
always  shocks  me  to  see,  for  instance,  mar- 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  121 

ried  women  dancing  with  other  women's 
husbands  and  usurping  the  province  of 
young  girls.  Paris  is  more  of  a  world  than 
a  city — such  a  great  cruel  world  too!  I 
think  people  preserve  their  individuality 
more  distinctly  and  are  more  to  each 
other  in  smaller  places." 

"Yes,  that  has  often  occurred  to  me 
also,"  replied  the  ambassador.  "Crowds 
destroy  friendship  as  well  as  true  domes 
ticity." 

"  But  we,  at  any  rate,  will  always  be  all 
to  each  other,  will  we  not,  Samuel  ?  You 
will  never  let  these  crowds  draw  us  asun 
der,  or  anyone  come  between  us  ? " 

Mr.  Jackson  put  his  arm  affectionately 
about  his  wife's  waist :  "  I'm  not  the  kind, 
Martha,  to  let  anyone  come  between  us, 
ami?" 

"  But,  Mrs.  Asher,  Samuel,  it  does  seei.. 
sometimes  as  if  you  took  a  heap  of  interest 
in  her." 

"  Mrs.  Asher,  why  she's  a  countrywoman 
of  ours.  I'm  here  to  protect  her.  A  mere 
chit  of  a  woman,  scarcely  more  than  a 
child!" 


122  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

"True,  Samuel;  but  do  you  know  it 
sometimes  seems  to  me  as  if  she  was  quite 
capable  of  protecting  herself." 

There  was  no  little  shrewdness  in  this 
quiet,  simple  personage. 


XVIII. 

MRS.    DE    TROW     SEEKS    THE     PROTECTION    OF 
HER    AMBASSADOR. 

THE  Sardinian  continued  his  devotions 
to  Mrs.  de  Trow ;  for,  though  he  keenly 
resented  her  perfidious  treatment  of  him, 
he  realized  that  an  open  rupture  would  be 
a  too  evident  admission  of  failure.  But  he 
was  sadly  quelled  in  spirit,  and  the  impul 
sive  manner  that  had  erewhile  distinguished 
him  was  replaced  by  a  marked  listlessness 
towards  the  whole  female  sex. 

A  few  mornings  after  the  ball  he  was 
sitting  with  his  fair  tamer,  submissively 
discussing,  if  not  European  politics,  yet 
matters  as  little  to  his  liking,  when  her 
husband  entered.  His  manner  was  so  dis 
turbed  that  the  visitor  found  a  pretext  to 
retire. 

Left  alone  with  his  wife,  Mr.  de  Trow 
flung  himself  upon  the  divan,  nor  were  all 
her  questions  able  to  extort  from  him  any 
thing  but  groans  and  sighs.  At  last,  grad 
ually  regaining  his  composure,  he  informed 

123 


1 24  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

her  that,  in  coming  out  of  his  club,  royalty 
had  passed  him  by  without  recognition. 

Mrs.  de  Trow  held  up  her  hands  in 
unfeigned  dismay.  "  O  Percival !  O  Per- 
cival !  "  she  exclaimed,  "  what  have  you 
done  ? "  and  the  delusive  dream  of  being 
taken  up  by  royalty  was  abruptly  dispelled 
by  a  nightmare  of  social  ostracism.  For 
Mrs.  de  Trow  invariably  jumped  from  one 
extreme  to  another. 

"  That's  just  the  worst  of  it,"  replied  Mr. 
de  Trow.  "  I  did  not  do  anything.  It  is 
the  result  of  these  confounded  reports  con 
cerning  Mrs.  Asher." 

Mrs.  de  Trow's  heart  suddenly  ceased  its 
pulsations.  "  Why,  what  do  you  mean  ?  " 
she  asked.  "I  don't  see  how  you  could 
have  got  yourself  mixed  up  with  Mrs. 
Asher." 

"  Why,  simply,  the  story  has  got  about 
that  we,  we,  originated  them,  and  I  sup 
pose  royalty  cut  me  to  mark  his  disap 
proval." 

"  How  did  the  story  get  about  that  we 
originated  them  ? "  asked  Mrs.  de  Trow* 
with  affected  coolness. 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  1 25 

"Through  the  pusillanimity  of  French 
society.  You  see,  as  soon  as  Dindon  heard 
of  the  remarks  that  were  connecting  him 
with  this  woman,  he  vowed  he  would  dis 
cover  their  source  ;  and  he  has  been  to  no 
end  of  people  who  attended  the  ball  and 
cross-examined  them.  On  comparing  notes, 
they  profess  to  trace  them  back  to  you. 
Of  course,  I  know  it's  false,  but  they  con 
sider  us  foreigners  the  safest  scape-goats ; 
and,  unless  immediate  steps  are  taken,  I 
shouldn't  be  surprised  if  the  hot-headed 
young  fool  would  be  taking  me  to  task  for 
them." 

Mrs.  de  Trow's  conscience  reproached 
her.  She  knew  more  of  the  origin  of  this 
story  than  she  dared  to  admit ;  but  to  be 
found  out  as  the  author,  and  to  suffer  with 
the  discovery  any  loss  of  social  prestige, 
was  more  than  she  had  bargained  for.  She 
must  endeavor  to  undo  what  she  had  been 
at  so  much  pains  to  do.  The  vicomte  was 
cleverer  than  she  had  given  him  credit 
for  being ;  he  had  turned  the  tables  upon 
herself. 

Mrs.  de  Trow,  for  all  her  whims,  was  a 


1 26  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

quick-witted  woman.  "  Percival,"  she  ex 
claimed  hurriedly,  "we  must  go  to  the 
American  ambassador." 

"But  why  to  the  American  ambas 
sador  ? "  demanded  her  husband  in  sur 
prise. 

"  Because  he  will  be  the  proper  person  to 
take  up  our  cause.  It  has  assumed  the 
importance  of  an  international  question. 
We  must  get  him  to  intercede  with  royalty 
in  our  behalf,  or  we  are  lost." 


XIX. 

MB.    JACKSON     AGREES    TO     SEE    THE    PRINCE 
ON    MRS.    DE    TROW'S    BEHALF. 

NEVER  had  the  rush  at  the  American 
Embassy  been  equal  to  what  it  was  to-day. 
Never  had  a  greater  number  of  perplexing 
questions  come  up  at  once  for  solution  be 
fore  any  ambassador.  Proceedings  opened 
with  a  call  from  an  agent  of  a  metropolitan 
opera  house  in  a  large  Western  city,  who 
desired  Mr.  Jackson's  advice  in  the  engage 
ment  of  a  Parisian  ballet-corps. 

Then  came  a  woman  in  a  state  of  great 
mental  disturbance.  She  hurriedly  de 
scribed  herself  as  the  American  wife  of  a 
Belgian  consul,  who,  resenting  the  stand 
her  mother  had  taken  in  certain  domestic 
difficulties,  was  endeavoring  to  secure  the 
latter's  incarceration  in  a  maison  de  sante. 

"  Oh,  sir,  you  will  not  let  her  be  shut  up, 
will  you  ?  You  will  take  our  side,  will  you 
not  ?  I  know  the  case  is  a  somewhat  com 
plicated  one.  Though  serving  the  Belgian 
government  my  husband  was  an  Austrian 

127 


128  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

by  birth.  We  were  married  in  Hungary. 
I  was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  and  the  cir 
cumstances  on  which  he  bases  his  claims  as 
to  her  insanity  having  occurred  in  Val 
paraiso,  the  laws  of  that  government  may 
have  to  be  considered." 

Mr.  Jackson  showed  the  bewilderment 
anyone  might  experience  at  this  hysterical 
enumeration  of  international  perplexities. 

Then  there  was  a  visitor  who  desired 
the  United  States  government  to  compel 
a  picture  dealer  to  refund  the  purchase 
money  for  a  fictitiously  signed  canvas  ;  and 
still  another,  who  asked  assistance  in  plac 
ing  an  ice-cream  making  machine  on  the 
Paris  market. 

These  several  calls  illustrate  the  diversi 
fied  requirements  and  responsibilities  of  our 
representatives  abroad.  Thoroughly  worn 
out,  Mr.  Jackson  at  last  retreated  to  the 
innermost  sanctuary  of  the  legation,  and 
sought  repose  on  a  sofa ;  while  M.  Antel, 
encouraged  by  a  break  in  the  stream  of 
visitors,  settled  himself  down  comfortably 
at  his  desk  with  an  old  edition  of  the  Petit 
Jowrncd  pour  Hire.  He  became  deeply 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  1 29 

engrossed  in  the  account  of  a  dispute  be 
fore  the  Odeon  Theatre  between  a  little 
grisette  and  a  man  watering  the  street, 
who,  it  seemed,  by  a  careless  turn  of  his 
hose  had  plentifully  besprinkled  a  new 
spring  toilette.  The  incident  was  trivial 
(except  to  the  sufferer),  but  it  was  written 
in  the  sprightly  style  peculiar  to  the  Paris 
ian  reporter.  M.  Antel  had  arrived  at  the 
climax  of  the  story  when  the  bell  on  the 
landing  began  to  ring  again,  and  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  de  Trow  appeared. 

"  Say  I  can  see  no  more  visitors  to-day," 
cried  the  much  requested  ambassador  when 
M.  Antel  announced  their  names  to  his 
excellency. 

Mrs.  de  Trow  followed  her  messenger  to 
the  last  barrier.  "  Oh,  sir,"  she  cried,  "  I 
am  a  countrywoman  of  yours,  and  I  must 
see  you  on  the  most  pressing  business." 

"But  madam,"  protested  Mr.  Jackson, 
"  I  am  quite  exhausted,  I  assure  you.  The 
secretary,  Mr.  Pettigrew,  will  be  here  in 
the  course  of  an  hour  or  so.  Might  I 
not  suggest  the  advisability  of  your  coming 
back  a  little  later  ? " 


130  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

"But  I  don't  want  to  see  Mr.  Petti- 
grew  ;  I  want  to  see  you,  sir,  and  to  get 
your  advice  on  the  most  urgent  ques 
tion." 

"It  in  no  wise  concerns  a  lunatic  asy 
lum,  does  it?"  asked  our  representative 
cautiously. 

"  No,  sir,  not  yet ;  but  it  may  result  in 
that  if  you  will  not  hear  me.  Do,  pray, 
therefore,  emerge,  sir,  and  cease  bandying 
words." 

"Very  well,  then,  madam,  I  suppose 
you  will  wait  till  I  resume  my  coat," 
groaned  the  judge. 

A  moment  afterward  Mr.  Jackson 
"emerged"  from  his  retreat.  "Oh,  sir, 
what  I  have  to  say,"  cried  the  lady  volubly, 
"  may  not  seem  serious  to  you.  When 
I  come  to  explain,  it  may  even  strike  you 
as  trivial,  but  it  is  everything  to  us,  sir. 
How  can  I  begin  ? " 

"  Begin  at  the  end,  madam ;  that  will 
make  it  clear  from  the  first,"  replied  Mr. 
Jackson  epigrammatically ;  and,  thus  en 
couraged,  Mrs.  de  Trow  gave  an  outline  of 
her  trying  situation,  yet  artfully  laying  em- 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  1 3 1 

phasis  on  the  fact  of  Mrs.  Asher's  good 
name  being  concerned. 

"  Do  you  not  see,  sir,  that  the  very  fact 
of  our  being  credited  with  originating  these 
stories  gives  to  them  a  fictitious  value? 
Mrs.  Asher  is  a  compatriot  of  ours.  We 
are  supposed  to  know  that  such  a  thing 
would  be  impossible  for  her.  Indeed,  if 
only  for  her  sake,  I  implore  you  to  go  and 
see  the  Prince.  A  word  from  him  will 
shut  the  mouth  of  this  impetuous  young 
man,  who  cannot  see  that  the  more  he  tries 
to  find  the  author  of  the  story  the  more  he 
drags  Mrs.  Asher  before  the  public." 

"  But  I  hardly  know  whether  such  a 
mission  would  fall  within  my  representative 
duties,"  said  Mr.  Jackson  doubtfully. 

"  Nonsense,  you  are  here  to  protect  your 
fellow  countrymen — I  mean  your  country 
women.  While  it  would  be  considered  a 
shocking  breach  of  etiquette  for  my  hus 
band  to  go  and  ask  royalty  anything,  it 
would  be  quite  natural  for  you,  backed  up 
as  you  are  by  the  authority  of  the  United 
States.  You  will,  therefore,  go  and  call 
upon  the  Prince,  will  you  not,  and  tell  him 


132  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

our  dilemma?  Tell  him,  in  fact,  that  de 
Trow  is  on  the  edge  of  despair,  and  that  I 
am  quite  over  it." 

"  Over  your  despair  ? "  asked  Mr.  Jack 
son  confusedly. 

"  No,  sir ;  over  the  edge  of  it.  But  pray 
cease  capping  my  remarks.  I  have  no 
aptitude  for  repartee.  Now,  until  you 
promise  to  go,  do  you  know  what  I  will 
do  ?  I  will  take  a  seat  here,  and  never  stir 
from  your  apartment." 

"I  promise,  madam,  I  promise.  I  would 
see  a  hundred  princes  for  your  sake,"  said 
the  judge  emphatically.  And  Mrs.  de 
Trow,  having  no  further  call  to  remain, 
gracefully  retired  with  her  spouse. 

Now,  Judge  Jackson  was  a  man  who, 
when  he  once  gave  his  word,  carried  it  out 
to  the  letter ;  and,  moreover,  without  delay. 
Though  he  hardly  approved  of  the  under 
taking,  yet  the  fact  of  Mrs.  Asher's  being 
involved  outweighed  his  objections  and  he 
set  off  forthwith. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  successful 
American  politician  has  a  natural  bent  for 
diplomacy.  The  mission  was  decidedly 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  133 

out  of  the  ordinary  for  Mr.  Jackson,  but 
he  was  gifted  with  a  tact — a  lightness  of 
touch,  let  us  say,  which  enabled  him  to 
treat  the  most  delicate  matter  successfully. 
He  was  championing  a  woman — not  Mrs. 
de  Trow — but  a  young  and  unprotected 
woman ;  and  the  result  of  his  visit  was 
that  he  left  the  matter  in  a  shape  in  which 
he  was  convinced  it  was  best  that  it  should 
be  left — that  is  to  say,  in  the  hands  of  a 
prince  whose  tact  was  as  great  as  his  own. 

That  evening  he  was  a  guest  in  the 
opera  box  of  the  President;  and,  Mrs. 
Asher  being  in  the  house,  he  found  occa 
sion  to  whisper  to  her  that  he  had  done  her 
a  service.  A  warm  pressure  of  the  hand 
was  her  only  reply.  How  long  the  recol 
lection  of  it  lingered  in  his  memory  ! 

How  long,  too,  the  recollection  of  his 
pressure  remained  in  her  memory  !  Mrs. 
Asher  was  on  the  eve  of  a  crisis. 


XX. 

A  TERRIFYING  ORDEAL  FOR  AN    UNATTACHED 
LADY. 

" LIGHT — light  —  give  me  more  light! 
Turn  on  every  burner  to  the  full ! "  and 
Mrs.  Asher  flings  her  fur-lined  opera  cloak 
from  her  fair  shoulders,  as  she  is  admitted 
into  the  hall  of  her  hotel.  Something 
unusual  has  happened,  and  her  agitation 
electrifies  the  sleepy  footmen,  who  have 
been  awaiting  her  return.  Hurriedly  they 
obey  her  mandate ;  and,  under  their  rapid 
manipulation,  slumbering  chandeliers  and 
candelabra  burst  into  sudden  life.  Not 
only  in  the  halls  and  corridors  of  the  lower 
floor,  but,  mounting  the  stairs,  the  illumi 
nation  extends  to  the  drawing  rooms,  and 
from  them  to  the  whole  house. 

There  is  something  sinister  in  this  sud 
den  demand  for  light  at  one  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  It  was  as  if  she  would  make 
sure  that  some  shadowy  terror,  which  had 
followed  her  in  the  blackness,  should  find 
no  congenial  asylum  here. 

184 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  135 

Mrs.  Asher  mounted  to  the  drawing 
rooms ;  and,  sending  for  her  maid,  gave  her 
own  personal  attention  to  the  lighting  of 
all  the  burners.  This  was  accomplished 
by  the  time  her  attendant  reached  her; 
whereupon,  sending  one  of  the  footmen  in 
quest  of  her  lawyer,  and  bidding  the  rest 
to  retire  within  call,  she  turned  to  her 
maid.  "  I  have  seen  him,"  she  cried. 

"  Where,  madame  ;  where  ? "  inquired 
the  woman. 

"  At  the  exit  of  the  opera." 

'•  Are  you  sure  ?  " 

"Can  you  ask  me  whether  I  am 
sure  ? " 

"But  how  could  he  have  learned  that 
you  were  here  ?  " 

Mrs.  Asher  flung  herself  upon  a  sofa, 
and  burst  into  a  wild  paroxysm  of  tears. 

"  How  did  he  learn  that  I  was  here  ? " 
she  repeated.  "  How  do  I  know  ?  I  sup 
pose  through  the  press,  but  it  is  enough 
that  he  is  here,"  and  she  rocked  herself 
backward  and  forward  in  great  perturba 
tion.  "Rachel,"  she  suddenly  observed, 
with  an  air  of  prediction,  "  remember  what 


136  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

I  tell  you  to-night — that  man  will  succeed 
in  his  object  yet." 

"  Why  not  hand  him  over  to  the  police 
then?" 

"  And  face  all  the  scandal  ?  No,  I  would 
rather  die  than  lose  the  position  I  have 
made  with  so  much  difficulty." 

"  Then,  at  least  for  the  present,  will 
madame  not  go  up  to  her  room  ? " 

"No,  I  have  sent  for  Mr.  Charterain. 
I  will  await  him  here." 

Mrs.  Asher  seemed  actually  to  have  aged 
by  ten  years  since  we  last  saw  her,  so 
noticeable  were  the  lines  in  her  beautiful 
face.  Her  breast  rose  and  fell  convulsively, 
and  every  now  and  then  she  pressed  her 
handkerchief  to  her  lips.  For  at  least  an 
hour  she  waited  before  the  lawyer  ap 
peared.  He  had  made  all  the  haste  possi. 
ble,  but  he  was  in  bed  when  the  summons 
reached  him,  and  a  considerable  distance 
separated  his  residence  from  her  own.  He 
was  a  large,  healthy  looking  man,  with 
a  broad,  smooth  face,  and  a  wonderfully 
soothing  manner.  Half  French,  half 
American,  he  was  well  fitted  by  ancestry 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  137 

and  training  to  attend  to  the  international 
interests  that  were  confided  to  his  charge 
by  the  large  American  colony  residing  in 
Paris. 

The  lady  sprang  to  meet  him.  "My 
worst  fears  are  realized,"  she  exclaimed. 
"  He  has  pursued  me  across  the  Atlantic. 
What  am  I  to  do  ?  " 

"  First  explain  to  me  the  reasons  you 
have  for  believing  this." 

"  I  saw  him,"  and  the  lady  shuddered. 

"  Beyond  the  question  of  a  doubt  ? " 

"  His  face  was  at  my  carriage  window." 

"  Did  he  see  you  ? " 

"  I  do  not  know." 

"  And  you  refuse  to  call  upon  the  author 
ities  for  protection  should  he  molest  you  ? " 

"  I  have  told  you  before  that  I  fear  the 
publicity  of  doing  so.  There  are  circum 
stances  in  my  past  that  might  come  out, 
Besides  he  has  still  rights,  you  have  fre 
quently  told  me." 

"  Then  why  not  act  at  once  on  the  plan 
we  have  so  long  had  in  contemplation? 
His  reappearance  gives  it  especial  value 


now." 


138  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

"  You  mean " 

The  gentleman  bowed. 

"  But  after  I  succeeded,  would  I  not  be 
equally  subject  to  persecution  ?  " 

"Not  to  the  same  degree.  Once  free, 
you  regard  him  from  an  outside  standpoint ; 
and,  if  he  annoys  you,  you  simply  hand 
him  over  to  the  first  policeman  as  an 
ordinary  disturber." 

The  lady  sighed.  "  I  fear  it  is  the  only 
course.  I  will  start  without  delay." 


XXI. 

MRS.    ASHER'S  MYSTERIOUS  DEPARTURE  AND 
THE   ODD  VISITOR   TO  THE  EMBASSY. 

THE  influence  of  royalty  is  subtle.  A 
word  here,  a  word  there,  a  friendly  smile 
in  public,  an  appreciative  grasp  of  the 
hand — these,  coming  from  such  a  source, 
have  more  effect  on  society  in  regard  to  the 
persons  they  concern  than  leaders  and 
editorials  in  the  most  widely  circulated 
organs  of  opinion. 

In  Mrs.  de  Trow's  case,  the  cloud  which 
seemed  descending  upon  her  dissolved; 
society  ceased  talking,  nor  did  the  vicomte 
care  to  carry  the  matter  further  when 
royalty  was  reported  as  observing  that  dis 
putes  in  any  wise  connected  with  a  woman's 
name  were  in  eminently  bad  form.  Thus 
the  scandal  was  nipped  in  the  bud  for  the 
time.  Therefore  Mrs.  Asher,  whom  these 
reports  concerned,  shared  in  the  benefit  of 
their  suppression.  Consequently  the  aston 
ishment  of  the  vicomte  may  be  imagined 
when,  on  calling  the  next  day  at  her  house, 

139 


140  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

he  found  that  she  had  left  Paris  as  abruptly 
as  she  had  come. 

The  mail  brought  a  letter  quite  unsatis 
factory  in  its  tone,  since  it  gave  no  other 
indication  of  her  plans  than  that  she  had 
been  recommended  by  her  physician  to 
a  sanitarium  for  a  few  months. 

Mrs.  Jackson,  the  marquise,  Mrs.  de 
Trow,  and  her  other  friends  received  letters 
little  more  explicit. 

It  is  needless  to  say  her  departure  caused 
a  ripple  of  excitement,  even  in  Paris.  Mrs. 
de  Trow  regarded  this  retreat  as  a  rout ; 
and,  though  she  bore  the  lady  no  ill-will, 
she  congratulated  herself  on  the  slap  she 
had  given  the  vicomte.  Yet,  as  his  ani 
mosity  might  be  rekindled  by  the  depar 
ture,  and  as  it  would  be  well  to  strengthen 
the  bond  of  sympathy  her  troubles  had 
established  with  royalty,  she  decided  to 
repair  to  London,  where  the  Prince  now 
was,  and  to  enjoy  as  much  of  the  season  as 
remained. 

But  these  are  the  insignificant  conse 
quences  of  Mrs.  Asher's  withdrawal.  It 
marks  an  epoch  in  this  story,  and  with  it 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  141 

a  cloud,  no  bigger  than  a  man's  hand,  begins 
to  rise  athwart  the  horizon.  Mr.  Pettigrew 
read  in  her  departure  a  confirmation  of  the 
suspicion  that  had  been  lately  forcing  itself 
upon  his  mind,  viz.,  that  his  fair  compatriot 
cared  little  for  him,  and  had  simply  been 
using  him  for  her  own  ends;  therefore, 
with  her  disappearance,  his  dream  of  play 
ing  the  role  of  ideal  husband  vanished. 

The  effect  on  the  vicomte  of  his  deser 
tion  by  her  was,  however,  more  serious. 
He  had  a  temperament,  the  peculiarity  of 
which  was  that  he  never  appreciated  any 
thing  till  he  lost  it,  and  then  he  placed 
upon  it  an  exaggerated  value.  For  three 
whole  days  he  shut  himself  up  in  his  apart 
ments,  if  not  to  weep  and  to  wail,  at  least 
to  gnash  his  teeth,  and  to  show  a  stern  reso 
lution  not  to  be  comforted.  On  the  fourth 
day  he  emerged.  Taking  his  curricle,  he 
drove  to  the  Bois  and  looked,  according  to 
his  habit,  at  the  ducks  and  the  drakes. 
Again  they  gave  him  an  inspiration.  It  was 
to  consult  the  police.  He  did  so,  and  after 
three  weeks'  patient  waiting,  was  rewarded 
by  the  information  that  Mrs.  Asher  had 


142  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

repaired  to  no  sanitarium,  but  in  reality 
had  gone  to  Kamtschatka  in  search  of  a 
particular  herb  for  the  complexion. 

The  effect  on  our  ambassador  alone  re 
mains  to  be  recorded.  In  his  heart,  too, 
Mrs.  Asher  left  a  void ;  but  being  a  practical 
man,  he  proceeded  to  replace  her  image  by 
hard  work.  To  be  sure,  his  predecessor 
had  left  little  for  him  to  accomplish  of  a 
noteworthy  character ;  but,  in  retaliation  for 
a  late  tariff  bill  raising  the  duty  on  French 
wines,  the  French  government  had  raised 
the  tariff  on  American  wheat.  Mr.  Jack 
son  laid  out,  as  a  worthy  object  of  his 
ambition,  the  removal  of  the  tariff  on  his 
own  country's  products  without  any  abate 
ment  of  that  on  the  French.  But  the 
French  wine  growers,  who  wielded  influ 
ence  both  inside  and  outside  of  the  Cham 
bers,  took  a  different  view  of  the  matter. 
Loudly  declaring  that  American  wheat 
should  not  be  relieved  without  a  corre 
sponding  decrease  as  regarded  their  own 
wares,  they  had  thus  far  neutralized  all  his 
efforts.  Mr.  Jackson  was  not  easily  dis 
couraged,  however.  Again  and  again  he 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  143 

endeavored  to  show  the  narrowness  of  the 
wine  growers'  arguments,  spurred  on  by  the 
dread  lest  the  Chambers  might  soon  ad 
journ  ;  for  his  knowledge  of  parliamentary 
procedure  assured  him  of  the  increasing 
difficulty  of  getting  any  business  settled  in 
the  rush  of  a  closing  session.  His  efforts 
required  frequent  visits  to  the  Quai  d'Or- 
say,  where  the  official  residence  of  the  min 
ister  of  foreign  affairs  is  located,  and  ne 
cessitated  his  own  and  Mr.  Pettigrew's  fre 
quent  absences  from  the  embassy.  On 
such  occasions,  M.  Antel  was  left  alone  to 
hold  the  fort,  so  to  speak. 

Now,  there  was  nothing  that  tickled  the 
honest  clerk's  pride  more  than  being  left 
jn  sole  charge  of  the  United  States  Em 
bassy.  Not  that  he  grew  presumptuous, 
or  assumed  any  disagreeable  hauteur  before 
the  lesser  employees  of  the  establishment ; 
on  the  contrary,  his  manner  to  these  became 
marked  by  an  extra  courtliness,  from  which 
was  studiously  eliminated  any  mortifying  re 
minders  of  the  vast  gulf  that  separated  them. 

Nevertheless,  his  admiration  for  the 
judge  was  so  sincere  that,  in  that  gentle- 


1 44  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

man's  absence,  he  could  not  resist  the 
unconscious  repetition  of  some  of  Mr. 
Jackson's  tricks  of  manner — walking  up 
and  down  the  room  with  his  hands  beneath 
the  skirts  of  his  coat,  throwing  back  his 
head,  and,  by  way  of  heightening  the  illu 
sion,  occasionally  transferring  his  seat  for 
a  moment  from  his  own  desk  to  that  of 
his  superior. 

It  was  a  pleasant  afternoon  about  a 
month  or  so  subsequent  to  Mrs.  Asher's 
departure,  that  M.  Antel  was  thus  revel 
ing  in  his  brief  authority,  when  he  was 
recalled  to  a  sense  of  the  complicated 
nature  of  his  avocations  by  the  sound  of 
the  bell  outside  on  the  landing.  With  a 
very  justifiable  feeling  of  irritation,  he  got 
up,  crossed  the  corridor,  and,  on  opening 
the  front  door,  started  back  in  dismay. 
For  of  all  the  weird-looking  people  that 
were  accustomed  to  drop  in  at  the  embassy, 
certainly  the  one  before  him  was  the  most 
peculiar.  As  M.  Antel  afterward  de 
scribed  him  to  his  friend,  the  advocate  next 
door,  he  seemed  as  tall  as  the  Vendome 
column,  with  a  bend  in  the  back,  as  when 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  145 

that  monument  was  just  beginning  to  yield 
to  the  ropes  of  the  Communards.  A  long 
beard,  streaked  with  gray,  hung  to  the  chin 
of  the  man,  the  cheeks  were  white  and 
chalky,  while  great  eyes,  that  flashed  and 
sparkled  like  a  couple  of  living  coals,  looked 
out  from  under  a  stern  and  yet  intellectual 
brow.  A  soft  felt  hat  with  a  wide  brim 
ornamented  the  stranger's  head.  There 
was  a  semi-clerical  cut  about  his  shabby 
black  clothes,  that  were  yet  of  a  different 
stamp  from  that  of  any  clerical  clothes 
M.  Antel  had  ever  seen.  Contrary  to  what 
one  might  infer  from  his  eye,  the  manner 
of  the  man  was  dazed  and  uncertain;  but 
what  most  astonished  the  clerk  was  the 
fact  that  he  came  to  inquire  how  soon  Mrs. 
Asher  was  expected  back  in  Paris.  Many 
people  came  to  inquire  about  Mrs.  Asher, 
but  they  were  all  of  so  opposite  a  type  from 
this  one  that,  merely  replying  that  the 
embassy  had  no  knowledge  of  the  lady's 
whereabouts,  M.  Antel  suffered  the  stran 
ger  to  wander  away,  without  attempting 
to  secure  any  information  either  about 
himself  or  the  reason  for  his  inquiries. 


XXII. 

MK.    JACKSON     ATTACKED    BY    THE    PRESS   BE 
CAUSE    OF    A     WOMAN. 

THIS  visit  occurred  about  four  o'clock  in 
~the  afternoon ;  and  it  happened  that  neither 
Judge  Jackson  nor  Mr.  Pettigrew  reap 
peared  at  the  office  that  day.  Now,  great 
as  was  his  reliance  in  Mr.  Pettigrew, 
the  clerk  preferred  to  mention  the  cir 
cumstances  of  the  visit  to  the  ambassador 
first ;  but,  the  following  morning,  being  sent 
out  on  some  message  by  the  secretary,  who 
arrived  at  the  office  before  his  chief,  he 
was  absent  when  Mr.  Jackson  arrived. 
On  his  return,  M.  Antel  found  Mr.  Jack 
son  engrossed  with  his  mail. 

How  true  it  is  that  the  greatest  events 
hinge  on  trifles,  and  that  trifling  things 
unhinge  the  most  practical  minds.  In  the 
package  of  newspaper  excerpts,  regularly 
forwarded  to  him  from  America,  Judge 
Jackson  discovered  a  long  clipping,  pur 
porting  to  be  a  letter  from  Paris,  and 

146 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  147 

headed  by  the  large  and  startling  query 
— "  Is  he  innocent  ?  " 

The  letter  gave  an  exaggerated  and  an 
entirely  erroneous  account  of  his  own  visit 
to  royalty ;  which,  according  to  the  writer, 
was  undertaken  because  of  a  woman  of 
doubtful  reputation,  in  whose  behalf  the 
representative  had  shown  a  culpable  inter 
est.  Then  followed  a  fictitious  history  of 
his  intimacy  with  this  woman,  of  his 
social  assistance  to  her,  and  of  his  infatu 
ation  for  her;  Mrs.  Asher,  though  not 
mentioned  by  name,  being  of  course,  re 
ferred  to. 

Throughout  his  long  and  successful 
public  career,  Mr.  Jackson  had  been  singu 
larly  free  from  hostile  criticisms,  and 
particularly  from  this  sort  of  attack ;  con 
sequently,  he  was  correspondingly  troubled 
by  it.  It  was  extremely  unfortunate,  too, 
that  the  letter  came  to  his  notice  just  when 
it  did,  as  it  caused  him  to  give  little  heed 
to  M.  Antel's  account  of  the  stranger  who 
had  called  the  preceding  afternoon.  It 
also  put  him  out  of  temper  with  his  work 
that  morning,  and  further  made  him  late 


148  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

at  the  Quai  d'Orsay,  whither  his  duties 
again  called  him. 

In  fact  he  found  that  the  German 
ambassador  had  anticipated  him,  and  was 
now  closeted  with  the  minister  of  foreign 
affairs.  As  the  interview  promised  to  last 
some  little  time  Mr.  Jackson  decided  to 
wait  its  conclusion  in  the  garden  below. 
Here  amid  the  orange  and  lemon  trees  he 
was  walking  up  and  down  when  his 
reflections  were  disturbed  by  the  pres 
ence  of  someone  at  his  side,  who  was  bow 
ing  to  him  in  the  most  polite  and  formal 
manner.  Mr.  Jackson  recognized  the 
Vicomte  de  Dindon,  with  whom  he  had 
enjoyed  a  passing  acquaintance. 

"Ah!  my  young  friend,  how  do  you 
do,  how  do  you  do  ? "  said  the  judge. 

"Devilish  badly,  your  excellency,"  re 
turned  the  vicomte. 

"Well,  I'm  sorry  for  that,"  replied  our 
representative,  "  but  if  it  will  console  you, 
I'm  not  feeling  particularly  cheerful  myself 
to-day." 

"Monsieur  1'Ambassadeur,  I  have  been 
to  the  embassy  to  see  you;  and,  learn- 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  149 

ing    where    you    had    gone,   I    followed 

you." 

"  Well,  that's  very  kind  of  you — very 
kind  indeed.  But  what  especial  service  can 
I  render  you  ?  " 

"It  occurred  to  me  that  perhaps  you 
might  render  me  your  assistance  in  finding 
Mrs.  Asher." 

Mr.  Jackson  looked  at  him  keenly. 
"  My  dear  young  sir,  if  you  will  help  me 
with  your  government  to  let  in  American 
wheat,  I'll  help  you  find  Mrs.  Asher. 
Everyone  seems  looking  for  her  now,  but  I 
fear  our  task  will  be  a  difficult  one." 

The  vicomte  looked  disappointed.  "  Your 
excellency  does  not  know  where  she  is  ? " 

"  I  do  not ;  and,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  my 
whole  desire  now  is  to  forget  Mrs.  Asher," 
he  added  beneath  his  breath,  as  he  thought 
of  the  letter  he  had  read  that  morning. 

"  Then,  your  excellency,  my  mind  is  made 
up.  I  am  going  to  sacrifice  myself  on  the 
altar  of  duty." 

"  That  is  a  very  worthy  intention. 
Might  I  inquire  in  which  particular  line 
the  sacrifice  is  to  be  made  \ " 


150  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

"Monsieur  1'Ambassadeur,  I  am  going 
to  throw  myself  with  fervor  into  a  new 
movement.  I  am  going  to  voice  the 
discontent  of  the  masses  who  are  now 
dumb.  In  short,  I  am  going  to  enter 
politics." 

"  Politics,  my  dear  young  sir,  ought  to  be 
the  ambition  of  every  young  man  of  talent 
and  position.  There  would  be  much  less 
cause  for  discontent  in  a  country  if  the 
wishes  of  the  masses  could  be  voiced  by 
people  who  really  sympathize  with  them, 
instead  of  by  professional  demagogues  and 
agitators." 

"Your  excellency  has  had  wide  expe 
rience  of  the  representative  system  of  gov 
ernment  in  America.  Let  me  ask  you 
frankly :  Do  you  find  France  as  truly  rep 
resentative  as  the  country  from  which  you 
come  ?  Have  no  fear  of  offending  me  ;  I 
only  ask  for  information,  and  would  much 
appreciate  your  candid  opinion." 

"  Since  you  put  the  question  to  me  in 
that  way,  I  must  confess  I  have  noticed 
certain  differences  between  things  here  and 
at  home," 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  151 

"  For  instance  ? " 

"  Well,  here  the  party  that  are  in  always 
seem  to  have  far  greater  control  of  the 
electoral  machinery  than  in  America,  Office 
at  home  is  weakness,  here  it  seems  to  be 
strength." 

"  Then  there  is  less  liberty  here  than  in 
America  ? " 

"In  a  sense,  yes;  and  even  when  a 
change  comes,  it  seems  rather  in  name  than 
fact.  I  am  surprised  to  learn  how  little  the 
machinery  of  government  differs  now  from 
what  it  did  under  your  former  systems. 
The  heads  have  changed,  to  be  sure.  There 
is,  perhaps,  less  glitter ;  but,  so  far  as  the 
methods  go,  they  are  absolutely  the  same, 
and  the  prefect  is  armed  with  as  much 
authority  as  ever  before.  Of  course,  I 
would  not  speak  of  my  observations  except 
you  asked  me ;  and  I  trust  you  will  appre 
ciate  that  I  mention  them  in  no  offensive 
spirit." 

"  Monsieur  PAmbassadeur,  I  appreciate 
your  frankness.  We  are  both,  I  see,  of  the 
same  way  of  thinking ;  and  I  trust  that  you 
will  give  me  the  privilege  of  coming  to  you 


152  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE, 

and  discussing  these  questions  occasionally 
again." 

"  My  dear  sir,  I  shall  always  be  happy 
to  discuss  any  question  with  you.  We 
dine  at  half-past  seven  o'clock,  and  we 
always  have  a  place  for  our  friends." 


XXIII. 

THE      COMMUNIST,      THE    VICOMTE     AND      THE 
MAD  MUSICIAN. 

IT  is  two  evenings  later.  A  thin,  nerv 
ous-looking  man  is  moving  up  and  down 
the  small  apartment  of  a  house  in  the 
environs  of  Paris.  Eveiy  now  and  then 
he  looks  at  the  clock,  and  compares  it  with 
his  watch.  At  the  tinkling  of  the  bell 
outside,  he  pauses.  "Ah, there  he  is  now," 
he  exclaims.  As  he  speaks,  a  slatternly 
servant  woman  ushers  in  the  Vicomte  de 
Dindon. 

"  When  I  wrote  to  crave  this  interview," 
began  the  visitor  abruptly,  "I  explained 
my  rank  and  position  in  the  world.  Here 
are  letters  which  will  confirm  my  state 
ments." 

"  As  head  of  the  Socialistic  party,  I  am 
scarcely  one  to  whom  these  should  appeal," 
replied  the  other,  taking  up  the  letters, 
however,  and  curiously  glancing  through 
them. 

153 


154  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

"  Perhaps  they  will  appeal  to  you  when 
you  learn  in  what  connection  they  can  be 
used ;  but  I  bring  to  you  more  than  these. 
I  bring  to  you  an  idea." 

"  Ah !  that  is  better.  Of  what  nature  is 
your  idea  ? " 

"  Listen.  France,  as  you  know,  has  been 
long  engaged  in  changing  the  Sahara  Desert 
into  a  sea  by  a  canal.  Again,  as  you  know, 
the  government  has  assisted  the  company 
with  large  subsidies.  Perhaps  you  do  not 
know  that  it  has  doctored  up  the  report  of 
the  experts  sent  to  investigate  the  slowness 
of  the  operations  ;  and,  to  prevent  the  truth 
from  coming  out,  has  tried  to  buy  the  press 
of  the  entire  country;  further,  there  is 
scarcely  a  government  official,  inside  or  out 
of  the  Chambers,  whose  influence  has  not 
been  engaged  to  support  the  scheme.  It 
is  merely  a  question  of  time  when  the  facts 
will  come  out.  You  represent  the  masses 
— I,  the  aristocracy.  My  idea  is  that  we 
unite  our  forces  against  the  greatest 
scandal  of  modern  times." 

The  socialist  smiled  ironically.  "Sup 
posing  what  you  tell  me  be  true,  such  a 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  155 

combination  would  be  the  union  of  the  dog 
and  the  cat." 

"Exactly.  The  dog  and  the  cat  that 
unite  to  attack  the  rats." 

"  Ah !  Monsieur  le  Vicomte  is  epigram 
matic." 

"  I  am  only  practical." 

"  Prove  it." 

"  By  such  a  combination  we  win  in  the 
coming  elections." 

"And  after  that?" 

"We  upset  the  government." 

"  And  still  again?" 

"  The  country  then  can  choose  between 
the  ancient  monarchy  and  the  socialistic 
republic." 

"Has  this  idea  been  inspired  by  any 
pretender — I  should  say,  aspirant  to  the 
throne  ? " 

"  It  is  all  my  own  idea,"  replied  the  vi- 
comte  proudly.  "  It  came  to  me  suddenly. 
All  my  best  ideas  are  like  that.  Pouff !  and  it 
was  here,"  and  the  vicomte  touched  his  brow. 
"I  will  not  deny,"  he  continued,  "that  I 
have  been  greatly  encouraged  in  my  plan 
by  my  friend  the  American  ambassador." 


156  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

"  By  the  American  ambassador  !  "  re 
peated  the  socialist  in  extreme  surprise; 
and,  for  the  first  time,  he  seemed  to  give 
serious  heed  to  his  visitor. 

"Yes;  he  assures  me  that  this  republic 
is  nothing  but  a  tyranny  in  disguise  ;  that 
the  fundamental  principles  of  liberty  are 
lacking;  that  men  of  my  position  and 
intelligence  ought  to  come  forward,  and  ex 
plain  to  the  people  their  real  needs.  Of 
course,  he  only  spoke  in  a  general  way,  and 
without  allusion  to  the  Sahara  Canal  Com 
pany  ;  but,  naturally,  that  is  what  he 
meant." 

"This  is  most  remarkable.  Are  you 
quite  sure  it  was  the  ambassador  of  the 
United  States  that  told  you  this  ?  " 

"  When  I  say  the  United  States,  I  mean 
the  United  States,"  answered  the  young  man 
curtly ;  "  and  my  plan  appealed  to  him." 

"It  does  not  appeal  to  me,"  said  the 
other  dryly.  "I  will  admit  the  truth  of 
much  that  you  tell  me  about  the  rottenness 
of  the  present  regime ;  but  an  attack  upon 
it  by  allies  so  diametrically  opposed  is 
simply  impossible." 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  157 

"  But  you  are  irreconcilable — in  fact,  as 
well  as  in  name,"  replied  the  vicomte. 
"  As  a  party  you  are  at  one  extreme ;  my 
party,  let  us  admit,  is  at  the  other.  I  offer 
a  suggestion  that  will  bring  the  two  ex 
tremes  together.  You  spurn  the  assistance 
I  offer,  forgetting  that  all  government  is 
a  compromise." 

"  Sir,  the  Socialistic  party  is  the  party 
of  the  future;  your  party  is  of  the  past. 
Old  age  can  never  assimilate  with  youth." 

"  I  deny  the  analogy,"  said  the  vicomte  ; 
"  measured  by  time,  the  monarchical  prin 
ciple  is  younger  and  fresher  than  that  of 
socialism.  You  are  absolutely  the  same  as 
you  were  in  Plato's  time  ;  and,  while  we 
can  show  ideal  monarchies  in  actual  exist 
ence,  you  can  show  only  ideal  republics  in 
the  brains  of  dreamers.  Socialism  is  an 
island  in  the  sea  of  ignorance  that  suffers 
no  approach." 

"  Say  rather  socialism  is  a  volcano  that 
is  destined  to  an  early  eruption,  whose 
light  will  illumine  the  world." 

"  Say  rather,  socialism  is  a  volcano  whose 
last  eruption  illumined  Paris  with  burning 


158  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

buildings,  and  landed  many  of  its  advocates 
in  the  ditch  of  Vincennes." 

"Enough,"  cried  the  communist  excit 
edly.  "  Do  you  mean  to  insult  the  dead  ?  " 

"  On  the  contrary  x  I  wish  only  to  bring 
reason  to  the  councils  of  the  living." 

"  Then  let  me  reply  as  of  old — '  Timeo 
Danaos  et  dona  ferentes.''"  The  socialist 
bowed  ironically.  The  vicomte  bowed 
haughtily.  "  Very  well,"  he  said ;  "  if  that 
is  your  view,  I  will  draw  my  visit  to  a 
close.  One  of  these  days  you  may  regret 
not  having  listened  to  the  Vicomte  de 
Diiidon."  Thereupon  the  vicomte  took 
his  hat  and  withdrew. 

As  he  drove  homeward  the  moon  was 
shining  brightly.  It  was  a  hot,  stuffy 
night,  with  clouds  of  dust  extending  the 
length  of  the  long  straight  road.  Innu 
merable  carts  laden  with  provisions  were 
traveling  the  same  course.  Their  drivers 
were  either  asleep  within,  or  astride  one  of 
the  great  gray  docile  horses  that  in  single 
file  trod  the  well-worn  path  leading  to  that 
immense  mouth — Paris.  Food  of  every 
description  that  the  imagination  of  man 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  159 

could  conjure  up  appeared  in  those  carts — 
cheeses  and  poultry,  meats  and  vegetables, 
all  heaped  in  an  abundance  that  oppressed 
the  beholder. 

"  Of  what  use  is  this  continual  round  of 
repletion?"  thought  the  vicomte.  "Do 
men  eat  only  that  they  may  live  to  eat 
again  ? "  The  reflection  sickened  him.  He 
felt  irritable  and  forlorn,  recognizing  that 
he  had  hardly  shown  much  tact  in  his 
interview,  and  yet  not  willing  to  admit  the 
fact  even  to  himself.  He  found  excuse  for 
his  irritability  in  everything  on  and  along 
the  road — in  the  dust,  in  the  poplar  trees 
on  each  side,  in  the  very  houses  whose 
fronts  shone  whitely  behind  infrequent 
lanterns ;  and  never  having  felt  the  pangs 
of  hunger,  he  was  especially  aggrieved  at 
the  long  line  of  innocent  carts  that,  like 
wheeled  cornucopias,  were  rolling  plenty 
to  the  great  city. 

It  was  with  a  sense  of  relief  that  he  saw 
the  lights  ahead  becoming  brighter,  and 
that  peculiar  luminousness  of  the  sky  that, 
like  an  aureole,  surrounds  Paris  at  night. 
Not  till  arriving  at  the  Arc  de  Triomphe 


160  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

could  the  contrast  between  the  gloomy 
outskirts  and  the  city  be  fully  appreciated ; 
then  Paris  burst  upon  him  in  all  its  gran 
deur.  Owing  to  the  heat  everyone  seemed 
to  be  abroad ;  and  down  the  broad  avenue 
the  lamps  of  oncoming  vehicles  made, 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  a  river 
of  fire.  On  passing  the  Rond  Point  the 
sound  of  music  reached  his  ear.  It  was 
scarcely  yet  his  hour  for  retiring,  so  he 
bade  the  cabman  await  his  return;  and, 
descending  among  the  crowds  of  idlers,  he 
crossed  the  gardens  of  the  Champs  filysees, 
finally  entering  one  of  those  little  open-air 
concert  halls  known  as  cafe  chantants. 

A  small  man,  with  a  comical  red  face 
and  a  high  hat,  was  singing  a  song  which 
the  vicomte  had  already  heard  a  couple  of 
hundred  times  at  least.  The  little  man 
was  succeeded  in  due  course  by  a  stout 
lady,  whose  smile  would  have  been  more 
seductive  but  for  a  couple  of  little  black 
patches  on  each  side  of  a  wide  mouth.  It 
was  all  very  wearisome ;  and,  having  con 
sumed  his  ice,  the  vicomte  sank  his  head 
into  his  hand,  and  lapsed  into  reverie. 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  161 

How  it  was  I  cannot  explain,  save  it  be  that 
his  drive  had  wearied  him ;  but  the  faces 
about  him  gradually  became  indistinct,  the 
lights  faded,  and  his  reverie  merged  into  a 
fitful  slumber,  with  the  eh-la-la,  tra-la-la  of 
the  fair  performer,  and  the  jingle-jangle  of 
the  accompanying  piano  making  an  odd 
medley  in  his  ear. 

As  he  slept,  the  music  must  have  given 
direction  to  the  action  of  his  mind.  He 
dreamed  a  curious  dream  of  two  angels — a 
good  angel  and  a  bad — struggling  for  the 
mastery  of  a  soul ;  the  angels  being  differ 
ent  and  distinct  strains  of  music.  At  last 
a  torrent  of  sound  seemed  to  blot  out  the 
good  angel.  He  awoke  with  a  start.  The 
place  was  in  confusion — men  were  gesticu 
lating  about  him,  while  on  the  stage  a 
couple  of  gendarmes  were  forcibly  remov 
ing  a  struggling  form.  Then,  as  he  stu 
pidly  gazed  about  him,  the  smiling  lady, 
who,  it  would  seem,  had  retreated  during 
the  trouble,  reappeared  and  apologized  for 
the  break  in  the  performance.  Turning  to 
the  occupant  of  the  next  seat  for  an 
explanation,  the  vicomte  learned  that  the 


162  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

pianist  who  had  been  accompanying  the 
singer  must  have  gone  mad,  as  his  conduct 
and  his  music  had,  without  any  warning, 
become  very  peculiar.  "  It  was  as  if  some 
horrible  thought  carried  him  away,  till,  los 
ing  all  control  of  himself,  he  gave  expres 
sion  to  the  tumult  raging  in  his  breast. 
Poor  devil !  that  is  what  absinthe  brings 
these  musicians  to — otherwise  he  never 
would  be  in  a  cafe  chantant" 

The  vicomte  rose  and  paid  his  score. 
Strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  incident  made 
a  deep  impression  on  him.  All  night  long, 
aye,  and  for  days  after,  his  dream  kept 
recurring  to  him  with  the  contradictory 
strains  that  he  then  seemed  to  have  heard ; 
the  one  grand,  solemn,  and  impressive,  the 
other  weirdly  sparkling  and  vivacious,  yet 
combined  with  a  fantastic  sensuality  that 
would  have  turned  a  hermit  mad.  Do 
what  he  would,  he  could  not  shake  off  the 
idea  that  they  had  some  particular  perti 
nency  to  himself.  In  some  ways  he  might 
seem  the  soul  that  was  being  contended 
for:  the  angel  of  good  personifying  the 
craving  for  an  active,  honorable  career; 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  163 

the  angel  of  evil,  the  circumstances  that 
dragged  him  under.  For  the  vicomte  was 
one  of  those  men  who  earnestly  desire 
occupation  for  its  own  sake — who  feel  the 
need  of  a  career  as  a  sustaining  prop  in 
life.  The  trouble  was  he  desired,  like  so 
many  others,  to  begin  at  the  big  end ;  while 
his  training  and  experience  completely 
unfitted  him  for  either  end. 

His  desires  for  a  career  were  intensified 
by  Mrs.  Asher's  absence ;  and,  realizing  that 
he  had  cut  himself  off  from  any  prospects 
of  a  political  nature,  he  became  a  prey 
to  an  extreme  misanthropy,  through  which 
that  mad  musician's  discords  vibrated  with 
strange  meanings. 


XXIV. 

MRS.  DE  TROW  TAKES  A  SUDDEN  RESOLU 
TION  ANENT  THE  SWEET  COMMUNION 
OF  SOULS. 

WITH  the  close  of  the  London  season, 
Mrs.  de  Trow  hied  her  to  Homburg. 
Here  she  now  was,  fluttering  about  as 
usual,  organizing  picnics,  and  getting  up  all 
species  of  entertainments,  the  head  and 
front  of  a  coterie  of  which  Lady  Summer 
set  de  Vere  and  the  Princess  de  Xamarinda 
were  shining  lights.  Indeed,  Mrs.  de  Trow 
had  but  one  cause  of  regret;  namely,  the 
extreme  wariness  of  a  certain  great  person 
age  usually  in  much  demand  in  Homburg. 
But  for  this  she  consoled  herself  with  an 
aged  grand  duke,  whose  waning  eyesight 
and  scarcity  of  molars  made  him  a  safe 
recipient  of  her  confidences  touching  the 
tender  passion. 

Mr.  de  Trow,  however,  found  Homburg 
less  to  his  tastes.  In  the  first  place,  there 
was  no  Palais  Koyal  with  its  shop  win 
dows  to  relieve  his  tedium;  then  the 
waters  which  his  wife  insisted  on  his  imbib- 

164 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  165 

ing  (because,  being  at  Homburg,  he  must 
do  as  others  did),  disagreed  with  his  diges 
tion  ;  and  lastly,  the  surveillance  over  the 
grand  duke  increased  in  irksomeness  each 
day,  by  reason  of  the  growing  audacity  of 
other  fair  countrywomen  of  his  who  were 
ever  on  the  alert  to  entice  the  asred  lion 

O 

from  Mrs.  de  Trow's  picnics  and  confidences 
to  their  own.  The  crowning  feature  of  Mr. 
de  Trow's  discomfort,  however,  was  that 
his  wife,  when  in  London,  had  been  pre 
sented  with  a  small  Dandy  Dinmont  ter 
rier,  upon  which  it  became  the  province  of 
de  Trow  to  attend.  And  yet,  to  such  a 
degree  do  the  noblest  of  us  succumb  to 
routine,  that  the  poor  man  was  more  ready 
to  repine  than  to  rejoice  when  the  little 
spoiled  darling,  breaking  through  the  fond 
restraints  that  hedged  him  in,  strayed  away 
one  night,  and,  indulging  in  some  unspeak 
able  orgies  of  a  gluttonous  nature  with 
other  canines  of  his  acquaintance,  came 
home  on  the  morrow  to  expire  in  the  arms 
of  his  friends.  This  sad  event  was  duly 
recorded  in  Mr.  de  Trow's  diary  under  the 
date  of  August  19th.  A  gallop  through 


166  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

the  pages  of  this  diary  will  not  only  give 
an  insight  into  the  routine  of  life  of  our 
exiles  generally  in  Hoinburg,  but  we 
shall  also  find  entries  big  with  import  to 
those  with  whom  we  are  more  immediately 
concerned. 

"August  31.  Maneuvers  of  the  German 
Army  began  to-day.  Drove  to  review 
with  Mrs.  O'Hagan,  as  Dora  insisted  on 
going  with  Xamarindas.  Awful  woman; 
squeezed  me  up  in  the  corner  of  the  car 
riage  till  I  could  scarcely  breathe,  and 
talked  in  the  highest  key  of  her  grievances, 
which  are  too  numerous  to  repeat.  Poor 
Summerset  wasn't  as  lucky  with  his  belle 
mere  as  Xam.  She  enters  all  his  un 
fortunate  adventures  on  the  turf  in  her 
diary  and  to-day  in  the  carriage  he  was 
compelled  to  listen  to  quotations.  Could 
anything  be  more  dreary  for  a  holiday ! 
Reflections  on  German  army.  They  have 
a  peculiar  way  of  stepping ;  wear  smart 
uniforms;  and,  when  they  charge,  shout 
'  hoch.' 

"September  3.  Awful  row  between 
Mrs.  O'Hagan  and  her  daughter,  because 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  167 

the  latter  did  not  invite  her  to  a  dinner 
for  the  Prince.  The  fact  is  the  Prince 
positively  forbade  her  being  included,  on 
the  score  of  her  effect  on  his  nerves.  Mrs. 
O'Hagan  got  into  a  fearful  rage  when  she 
was  told  this,  reproached  her  daughter  for 
her  lack  of  filial  consideration  in  not  insist 
ing  on  her  presence,  tearfully  recited  the 
number  of  times  she  had  paid  her 
'wretched,  knock-kneed,  and  degenerate 
son-in-law's  gambling  debts' (as  if  poor  Xam 
had  anything  to  do  with  her  exclusion), 
and  tragically  wound  up  with  the  reminder 
that,  to  allow  her  daughter  the  income  she 
enjoyed,  she,  Mrs.  O'Hagan,  had  scrimped 
herself  to  a  degree  that  involved  the  sacri 
fice  of  her  brusse-a-dent.  Her  daughter 
delicately  hinted  the  deprivation  was 
scarcely  a  hardship,  as  her  dental  ma 
chinery  was  removable  and  usually  polished 
with  a  towel ;  whereupon  the  fond  parent 
collapsed  in  hysterics  on  the  carpet. 

"  September  5.  Invitation  from  grand 
duke  to  castle  in  Bohemia,  from  October 
1st  to  15th.  Boar  hunting.  Of  course  it's 
in  the  nature  of  a  command  ;  but  how  I  do 


168  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

wish  it  had  been  to  shoot  rooks  with  a  pea 
rifle  !  Far  preferable  as  a  sport — no  dan 
ger,  and  your  gun  never  kicks. 

"  September  8.  Invitations  by  floods  to 
other  chateaus  for  autumn.  It's  got  wind, 
I  fancy,  we're  going  to  stay  with  grand 
duke.  Le  succes  rapporte  le  succes.  We'll 
have  only  to  pick  this  season. 

"  September  10.  Dinner  at  the  Kursaal. 
Conversation  turned  on  Mrs.  Asher.  Gen 
eral  wonder  expressed  as  to  her  where 
abouts.  Later  in  evening  a  man  mysteri 
ously  drew  me  to  one  side;  and,  under 
promise  of  secrecy,  inquired  whether  I  had 
ever  heard  the  report  that  she  was  the  sub 
ject  of  a  frenzied  pursuit  by  a  discarded 
lover  who  had  avowed  the  amiable  in 
tention  of  taking  her  life.  There's 
something  mysterious  about  that  woman. 
She's  just  the  kind  to  be  connected .  with 
some  awful  tragedy.  I  feel  it  in  my  bones. 

"September  18.  Talking  about  stories; 
heard  good  one  about  Princess  de  Xama- 
rinda's  stately  repose  of  manner.  First 
thing  her  husband  is  said  to  have  observed 
to  her  after  marriage  was:  'My  dear,  as 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  169 

Miss  O'Hagan  of  Hoshkosh,  it  was  quite 
natural  that  your  voice  should  be  pitched 
in  a  high  key,  and  that  your  tongue  should 
wag  as  loud  and  as  continuously  as  that  of 
the  bell  in  one  of  your  Western  locomo 
tives;  but  let  me  remind  you,  now  you're 
my  wife,  it's  different,  and  a  Princess  of 
Xamarinda  is  supposed  to  maintain  a 
stately  reserve.'  Before  every  sentence 
now  she  inwardly  counts  three,  but  some 
times  the  restraint  becomes  intolerable,  and 
in  these  cases  she  closets  herself  with  her 
friend  Lady  Summerset  de  Vere  who  has 
been  repressing  her  own  voice  in  some 
similar  manner,  and  they  secretly  indulge 
together  in  a  good  old-fashioned  American 
yell.  I  wish  I  could  induce  Dora  to  count 
three  before  every  sentence — but  when 
she  reacted — O  Lord  ! 

"  September  20.  The  Prince  left  to-day. 
Must  confess,  my  appreciation  of  his  ability 
has  reached  its  acme.  For  a  man  to  dodge 
Dora  for  five  whole  weeks  when  she  has 
set  her  mind  upon  him,  and  then  to  get 
away  scot  free,  proves  him  to  be  gifted 
beyond  the  ordinary  run  of  men. 


170  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

"September  21.  Maracovini  and  English 
secretary  turned  up,  swearing  at  their 
respective  ambassadors  for  keeping  them 
all  summer  at  their  posts,  and  making  them 
return  in  ten  days.  Report  something 
strange  likely  soon  to  come  out  about 
Mr.  Jackson ;  also  report  unusual  activity 
among  the  socialists,  and  possible  risings  of 
the  populace  over  these  Sahara  Canal  dis 
closures.  These  French  people  are  never 
satisfied.  They  set  up  a  republic  one  day, 
and  then  set  to  work  to  pull  it  down  the 
next. 

"September  22.  Unexpected  scene 
to-day  between  Dora  and  Xam's  mother-in- 
law,  the  O'Hagan.  It  seems  that  the 
latter  got  it  into  her  head  that  the  reason 
the  Prince  had  forbidden  her  presence  at 
her  daughter's  table  was  because  he  con 
founded  her  in  some  way  with  Dora.  Dora 
naturally  resented  this  version  as  unflatter 
ing,  and  retorted  that  Mrs.  O'Hagan  was 
actually  responsible  for  the  Prince's  depar 
ture  from  Homburg.  Thereupon  the 
O'Hagan  flung  in  her  face  a  reported  obser 
vation  of  the  Prince — that  having  dodged 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  171 

Dora  during  the  latter  part  of  the  London 
season,  it  was  rather  hard  to  have  to  begin 
all  over  again  here.  You  should  have  seen 
Dora  rear  up.  I  never  had  any  idea  of 
the  reserve  power  of  that  woman.  She 
reared  up,  and  then  she  fell  on  the  unhappy 
O'Hagan  like  a  carload  of  brick — described 
her  face  as  being  more  highly  colored  than 
her  stories,  and  added  that  if  the  Prince 
had  recently  desisted  in  his  attentions  to 
any  of  our  countrywomen,  it  was  because 
of  such  representatives  of  the  nation  as 
Mrs.  O'H. — who  disgraced  her  sex  by  her 
conduct,  robbed  gray  hair  of  its  dignity 
by  a  wig,  and  introduced  into  polite  society 
the  manners  of  a  charwoman.  There's 
nothing  like  standing  right  up  to  these 
people.  The  O'Hagan  actually  wilted  into 
tears,  and  begged  for  curac,oa  to  restore  her 
shattered  nerves.  She's  a  terror,  that 
woman.  Just  to  think  of  her  being  at 
large!  At  home,  no  one  ever  heard  of 
her  till  her  daughter's  marriage.  Yet,  here 
she  forces  herself  everywhere.  Indeed, 
the  more  I  see  of  European  society,  the 
higher  opinion  I  begin  to  entertain  of  our 


172  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

own.  With  us  a  certain  degree  of  refine 
ment  is  essential ;  in  Europe,  it  seems  to 
count  for  nothing ;  and,  so  long  as  people 
have  money  and  plenty  of  assurance,  eveiy 
barrier  eventually  falls." 

One  more  entry  and  then  we  have  done. 
It  is  under  the  head  of  September  30,  and 
many  important  events  are  to  hang  upon  it. 
"  Grand  visit  of  reconciliation  from  Mrs. 
O'Hagan.  Dora  and  she  as  thick  as  thieves 
again.  For  some  reason  best  known  to  her 
self  charged  all  the  trouble  to  Summerset 
de  Vere ;  went  on  to  observe  that  with  that 
young  man  before  her  eyes,  she  has  grown 
to  have  an  unutterable  contempt  for 
Englishmen,  who  have  no  respect  for 
woman's  feelings,  contrasting  them  most 
unfavorably  in  this  respect  with  the  men  of 
Home — where  she  had  spent  the  preceding 
winter — to  whom  she  went  on  to  attribute 
all  the  manly  virtues  and  sentiments. 

"  The  effect  on  Dora  was  noticeable.  I 
read  in  her  eyes  that  she  suddenly  remem 
bered  there  was  one  last  remaining  field  of 
conquest." 

That  this    prognostication    of    Mr.   de 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  173 

Trow's  was  not  unwarranted  was  soon 
proved.  "  Percival,  dear,"  lisped  the  lady 
next  morning,  "  I've  noticed  that  you  have 
not  been  looking  well  lately.  It  sometimes 
occurs  to  me  that  the  life  we  have  been 
leading  is  not  the  best  for  either  of  us.  I 
have  therefore  decided  that,  after  we  leave 
the  grand  duke's,  we  will  pass  the  rest  of 
the  autumn  visiting  about  in  the  country, 
and  afterward " 

"  And  afterward  that  we  go  to  Rome  ? " 
hazarded  her  husband. 

"  Why,  yes,  but  how  did  you  guess  it  ? "' 

"Oh,  never  mind,"  replied  her  spouse 
grimly. 

"  I  am  so  anxious  to  behold  the  Colos 
seum,  and  the  Vatican,  and  all  the  other 
emblems  of  a  glorious  past,"  continued  the 
lady.  "  You  know  the  adage,  '  See  Rome, 
and  then  die.' " 

"  I  thought  the  adage  referred  to 
Naples,"  said  Mr.  de  Trow  ironically. 

"  Now,  Percival,  I  know  you're  angry 
and  wish  to  quarrel,  but  I  shall  not  give 
you  the  chance ;  you  have  no  appreciation 
for  anything  outside  of  the  Palais  Royal. 


174  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

As  for  me,  I  have  a  strange  curiosity  about 
the  works  of  these  ancient  Romans ;  you 
must  admit  we  ought  to  see  these  before 
we  die." 

"And  at  the  same  time  work  the 
grand  passion  racket,  and  the  sweet  commu 
nion  of  souls,  for  the  benefit  of  the  modern 
Romans." 

"  Percival,  I  really  believe  you're  jealous 
of  poor  little  me,"  lisped  the  lady,  as  she 
put  her  pink  finger  nail  between  her  lips 
and  pensively  regarded  her  husband. 

"No,  I'm  not  a  bit  jealous — quite  the 
contrary,  in  fact,"  retorted  the  gentleman ; 
and  he  spoke  with  a  decisiveness  that 
showed  he  meant  what  he  said.  Thus 
passed  the  summer  of  his  discontent 


XXV. 

A  STARTLING  ENCOUNTER  WITH  THE  POLICE 
AND  AN  UNEXPECTED  ARRIVAL  FROM 
DIANAPOLIS,  THE  HEAD  CENTER  OF 
DIVORCE. 

BACK  in  August  some  time  Mr.  Jackson 
had  ottered  the  second  secretaryship  to  the 
son  of  a  life-long  friend.  The  position  had 
been  gladly  accepted  by  the  young  man ; 
but  illness  was  offered  as  an  excuse  for  his 
failure  to  present  himself  at  his  post.  The 
month  of  October  was  now  well  advanced, 
and  he  still  delayed  his  coming.  Had  Mr. 
Jackson  desired  to  take  the  vacation  to 
which  he  was  entitled,  the  absence  of  the 
second  secretary  might  have  caused  incon 
venience  ;  for,  by  his  own  departure,  an 
unfair  proportion  of  work  would  have  been 
imposed  on  Mr.  Pettigrew. 

Mr.  Jackson,  however,  had  no  desire  to 
absent  himself.  The  political  sky,  ere  while 
so  clear,  was  overclouded,  and  an  interpel 
lation  of  the  government  on  the  subject 
of  the  Sahara  Canal  scheme  was  threat 
ened.  Besides,  he  had  taken  a  small  but 
attractive  hotel,  whose  bit  of  garden,  with 
175 


176  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

its  trees  and  statues,  offered  many  of  the 
charms  of  a  country  abode,  and  where  he 
was  far  more  comfortable  than  he  would 
likely  have  been  in  any  summer  caravansary. 
There  are  beautiful  walks  and  drives  in 
the  environs  of  Paris,  delightful  little  cafes 
along  the  Seine,  nooks  of  unexpected  sylvan 
beauty  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne,  and  charm 
ing  islets  in  its  lakes.  Men,  in  blue  jean 
sailor  suits  of  a  theatrical  cut,  row  you 
about  the  lake  in  boats  that  strangely  recall 
a  ship  of  Christopher  Columbus'  time  with 
out  the  masts ;  and,  as  you  float  along,  you 
get  irretrievably  mixed  up  with  swans,  and 
geese,  and  bourgeois  wedding  parties  in 
black  dress  coats  and  tulle.  All  these 
sights  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jackson  exploited,  nor 
were  they  lonely  because  the  great  world 
of  fashion  had  deserted  Paris.  Indeed, 
the  cessation  of  their  social  duties  enabled 
them  to  indulge  in  the  quiet  home  life 
which  was  so  dear  to  both,  and  to  make 
acquaintance  with  a  class  of  people  whom, 
in  the  rush  of  the  season,  it  would  have 
been  difficult  to  know.  Thus  young  men 
and  women  in  the  schools  of  art  and  medi- 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  177 

cine  found  a  hearty  welcome  at  their  em 
bassy. 

Occasionally  of  an  evening,  too,  the  den 
tist  and  his  wife  would  drop  in  after  dinner ; 
when,  if  the  weather  permitted,  there  were 
placed  on  the  balcony  four  large  rocking 
chairs  especially  brought  from  America. 
Thereupon  all  would  indulge  in  what  they 
playfully  distinguished  as  a  good,  old- 
fashioned  American  rock;  Mrs.  Jackson 
and  Mrs.  Lovejoy  perhaps  talking  baby 
on  one  side  (for  Mrs.  Lovejoy  pre 
sented  a  grateful  world  with  at  least  one 
proof  per  year  that  Tier  marriage  was  no 
failure),  while  Mr.  Jackson  and  Mr.  Love- 
joy  discussed  the  development  of  dentistry 
in  Latin  countries.  Thus  engaged,  they 
would  watch  the  domed  and  spired  city  at 
their  feet,  darkling  in  the  twilight.  Or 
sometimes  of  an  evening,  Mr.  Lovejoy  would 
call  for  Mr.  Jackson  to  join  him  in  a  walk 
on  the  boulevards ;  when,  if  frivolously  in 
clined,  they  would  stop  at  a  cafe  for  an  ice. 
This  habit  was  regarded  rather  askance 
by  their  wives ;  and,  as  we  shall  see,  not 
always  without  reason.  The  anniversary 


ITS  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

of  the  decease  of  a  well-known  agitator  oc 
curring  about  this  time,  it  had  been  chosen 
by  his  sympathizers  for  a  demonstration 
against  the  government.  Though  this  in 
tention  had  aroused  considerable  uneasiness 
in  official  circles,  the  day  passed  off  quietly. 
After  dinner  Mr.  Love  joy  happened  to  call 
on  the  ambassador,  and  proposed  a  stroll. 
Mr.  Jackson  assented;  so  they  sauntered 
down  the  boulevards,  and  subsequently  took 
seats  before  a  cafe,  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  Porte  St.  Martin.  Here  they  found  the 
excitement  at  fever  heat.  Everyone  inside 
and  outside  the  cafe  appeared  to  be  en 
gaged  in  a  linguistic  duel  with  his  neigh 
bor,  and  all  were  gesticulating  at  the 
fiercest  rate. 

Mr.  Jackson  surveyed  them  with  a  smile 
of  quiet  amusement.  "  To  judge  from  the 
way  these  people  go  on,"  he  exclaimed, 
"they  ought  to  have  a  cord  around  their 
waists,  with  an  organ-grinder  at  the  other 
end.  That's  the  only  thing  they  require 
to  make  the  resemblance  complete." 

"They  have  certainly  made  but  little 
advance  over  here  in  dental  surgery,"  said 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  179 

Mr.  Lovejoy,  whose  thoughts  continually 
reverted  to  his  profession.  "  The  most 
painfully  amusing  sight  I  ever  beheld  was 
an  elderly  French  gentleman  who  wore  an 
antiquated  set  of  Evans'  sixes  instead  of 
Smith's  imperial  self-adjusting  fives." 

"  I  don't  understand,"  replied  the  envoy. 

"  Excuse  me,  sir ;  I  allude  to  what  a  lay 
man  would  call  his  artificial  teeth.  You 
see,  they  were  a  size  too  large  for  him,  and, 
being  moreover,  of  a  primitive  make,  they 
kept  his  lips  extended  in  a  manner  that 
your  reference  to  the  simian  family  and 
their  grimaces  vaguely  recalled." 

"  Oh,  I  didn't  see  the  point,"  said  our 
representative,  laughing ;  "  but,  dear  me, 
what  is  the  meaning  of  all  this  ? " 

Distant  shouts  and  yells  were  suddenly 
heard  down  the  boulevard.  Rising  to  their 
feet,  as  all  the  rest  about  them  did,  our  two 
friends  paid  their  score  (as  all  the  rest  did 
not).  I  am  sorry  to  say  their  honesty  was 
not  rewarded  as  it  should  have  been ;  for, 
while  they  were  waiting  for  their  change, 
the  waiters  suddenly  emerged  in  a  body ; 
and,  sweeping  chairs,  bottles,  and  tables  in 


180  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

one  indiscriminate  mass  to  the  interior, 
pulled  down  the  shutters  and  put  out  the 
lights. 

"  Well,  upon  my  word,"  said  Mr.  Jackson, 
"  if  that  isn't  the  most  contemptible 
expedient  I  ever  saw  to  rob  one  of  twenty- 
five  cents  change." 

"  It  reminds  me  of  an  experience  I  once 
had  in  Arkansas,"  said  Mr.  Lovejoy.  "I 
was  just  presenting  my  bill  for  an  opera 
tion  on  an  upper  bi-cuspid " 

The  reminiscence  was  destined  to  remain 
unrelated.  A  confused  rabble,  whose  ap 
proach  had  been  unnoticed  by  our  two 
friends  in  their  surprise  at  the  closing  of 
the  cafe,  was  swarming  around  them  on 
every  side.  They  were  crying,  "  Down  with 
the  Jews ! "  (the  Jews  were  held  to  be  largely 
responsible  for  the  Sahara  Canal  scheme), 
and  after  them,  sweeping  them  along  as 
chaff,  came  a  line  of  sergents  de  ville,  extend 
ing  across  the  entire  roadway  of  the  street 
with  swords  drawn.  Never  did  our  envoy 
forget  the  sight  of  those  police,  as  they  ad 
vanced  in  their  long  hooded  coats,  the  light 
flashing  on  their  naked  blades  and  their 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  181 

dark  saturnine  faces,  each  with  its  fiercely 
twisted  mustache.  There  was  something 
of  the  hired  bravo  in  their  appearance — 
something  so  much  more  sinister  than  in 
that  of  an  ordinary  platoon  of  honest 
locust-swinging  bobbies,  that  our  envoy 
stood  rooted  to  the  ground.  Before  he 
was  aware  of  it,  a  point  was  at  his  breast, 
and  a  rough  hand  on  his  throat.  The  fact 
disagreeably  recalled  him  to  his  senses. 
•l  What  do  you  mean,  sir  ?  "  he  exclaimed, 
as  he  shook  himself  free.  "I  think  you 
will  find  that  you  have  made  an  egregious 
mistake." 

" Sacre  Anglais"  cried  the  sergent 
fiercely. 

"Pas  Anglais"  replied  Mr.  Jackson, 
more  soothingly.  "Americain  ambassa- 
deur" 

"  Americain  ambassadeur  f  "  mimicked 
the  hireling  ;  "  mais  gue  faites-vous  dong 
dans  cette  galere-ci  f  " 

"  How  ? "  ejaculated  our  envoy  interroga 
tively  ;  for,  while  in  the  repose  of  his  study 
he  could  read  French  fairly  well,  his  ac 
quaintance  with  the  language  was  not 


182  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

equal  to  the  comprehension  of  sudden  lin 
guistic  bursts;  but,  at  that  moment,  the 
officer  spied  the  dentist  struggling  to  his 
feet,  for  he  had  been  knocked  down  in  the 
rush,  and,  turning  away  from  Mr.  Jackson, 
seized  him  with  both  hands  by  the  hair. 

"  And  this  man,  is  he  also  an  American 
ambassador  ? "  inquired  the  gendarme  iron 
ically. 

"  Non,  §a  c'est  ung  de  mes  amis,  dentist, 
bung  garcon  ;  "  and  Mr.  Jackson,  to  demon 
strate  the  pacific  profession  of  his  comrade, 
so  far  yielded  to  the  situation  as  to  make  a 
pantomimic  display  suggestive  of  drawing 
the  cork  from  a  bottle,  though  it  was  in 
tended  to  apply  more  strictly  to  the  extrac 
tion  of  teeth. 

In  the  meantime,  the  crowd  and  their 
pursuers  had  swept  on,  leaving  the  gen 
darme  with  his  distinguished  captives  on 
the  sidewalk.  The  incident  had  taken  Mr. 
Jackson  so  much  by  surprise  that  it  had 
not,  as  yet,  occurred  to  him  to  show  his 
card.  This  he  now  did.  The  sergent 
took  it  suspiciously,  read  it  in  the  light  of 
a  lamp-post  attentively ;  and,  though  retain- 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  183 

ing  it,  expressed  his  abject  apologies  for 
the  mistake,  further  offering  to  conduct  the 
gentlemen  to  a  cab  stand — a  suggestion 
which  the  judge  finally  accepted. 

The  incident  would  probably  have  made 
more  impression  on  Mr.  Jackson's  mind  but 
for  a  very  unexpected  event  which  had  hap 
pened  during  his  absence  from  home  that 
same  evening,  and  connected  with  which 
was  a  circumstance  that  so  engrossed  Mr. 
Pettigrew's  mind  as  to  leave  him  with  little 
interest  in  his  superior's  misadventure. 
This  event  was  the  unannounced  arrival  of 
the  young  gentleman  who  had  been  ap 
pointed  several  months  before  to  the  post 
of  second  secretary.  Of  all  things,  Mr. 
Pettigrew  most  disliked  surprises ;  and  this 
young  man  gave  Mr.  Pettigrew  a  surprise 
by  hunting  him  up  when  he  could  not  find 
the  ambassador  at  his  home.  Mr.  Pettigrew 
disliked  also  being  disturbed  after  a  quiet 
dinner,  particularly  in  the  interior  of  his 
own  abode,  which  was  of  a  less  luxurious 
character  than  he  wished  it  to  be  imagined. 
But  what  Mr.  Pettigrew  disliked  the  most 
was  a  young  man  of  the  free-and-easy, 


184  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

breezy  manner  which  this  young  man  pos 
sessed.  Nevertheless,  Mr.  Pettigrew  being 
surprised  into  opening  his  door,  was  com 
pelled  to  admit  his  visitor  after  hearing 
who  he  was,  and  to  offer  him,  as  a  substi 
tute  for  a  more  lavish  hospitality,  a  chair. 
This  the  young  man  took,  and  proceeded  to 
give  Mr.  Pettigrew  a  description  of  his 
voyage  over  and  his  opinion  of  Paris  after 
three  hours'  acquaintance ;  to  draw  a  com- 
parison  between  the  policies  of  Europe  and 
America ;  and  to  pass  a  hurried  commentary 
on  French  architecture,  which  built  houses 
five  stories  high  without  lifts.  His  visitor 
pausing  for  a  moment  to  catch  his  breath, 
Mr.  Pettigrew  availed  himself  of  the 
opportunity  to  inqure  into  his  long  delay 
in  reaching  his  post,  whereupon  the  young 
man  adopted  an  extremely  sentimental  air. 
"  Thereby,  O  Pettigrew,  hangs  a  tale. 
A  few  days  after  I  was  offered  this  post, 
when,  in  fact,  I  was  making  my  prepara 
tions  for  departure,  I  fell  ill — really  ill — 
and  was  laid  up  for  some  three  weeks. 
On  my  recovery  from  my  physical  ailment, 
I  succumbed  to  one  of  a  different  kind. 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  185 

O  Pettigrew,  did  you  ever  fall  in  love  ? 
in  love  to  a  degree  that,  for  a  smile  from 
your  charmer,  you'd  be  willing  to  walk  out 
of  a  third-story  window  backward,  cross 
Niagara  on  a  cobweb,  or  hang  by  your 
eyelashes  to  Not-a-dam  spire  ?  " 

"I  must  confess,"  returned  Mr.  Petti- 
grew,  in  his  stateliest  accents,  and  with  a 
groAving  dislike  for  his  forward  young 
visitor,  "  I  can  hardly  imagine  myself 
allowing  my  feelings  to  carry  me  away  to 
such  an  extent." 

"  Then,  my  friend,  you  have  never  known 
what  it  is  to  love.  How  doth  the  poet  say  ? 
— '  Better  to  have  loved  and  lost,  than  never 
to  have  loved  at  all.'  Pettigrew,  I  lost  my 
rest,  my  peace  of  mind,  and  what  the  philos 
opher  calls  happiness.  It  came  about  in 
this  wise.  The  day  before  I  was  finally  to 
leave  for  Paris,  I  stopped  at  a  hotel  to  learn 
the  times  of  starting  of  the  east  bound 
trains.  Now,  Dianapolis,  as  perhaps  you  are 
aware,  is  the  banner  city  for  divorces ;  and 
the  hotels  are  usually  full  of  those  that 
seek  relief  from  matrimony's  yoke.  Having 
obtained  a  time-table,  I  was  departing, 


186  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

when,  passing  through  the  halls,  I  saw  a 
face  that  bewitched  me.  On  inquiry,  all  I 
could  learn  about  the  owner  was  her  name, 
and  that  she  was  there  for  a  divorce.  From 
the  moment  I  saw  her  I  forgot  all  else; 
for,  Pettigrew,  there  is  a  chord  in  my 
nature  strangely  sensitive  to  romance  and 
that  is  always  touched  by  a  woman's  seek 
ing  a  divorce.  Like  Ulysses,  I  gave  up  my 
sailing  and  haunted  the  corridors  of  the 
hotel  day  after  day.  Every  expedient, 
however,  to  make  an  impression  failed.  I 
sent  her  cards  and  letters,  concealed  in 
roses,  craving  an  interview  and  describing 
the  honorable  nature  of  my  intentions. 
The  flowers  were  kept,  the  letters  returned. 
Finally  I  explained  the  glorious  career 
diplomacy  extended  to  me;  insinuating 
that  while  only  second  secretary  now,  I 
would  soon  supersede  the  first  secretary, 
that's  you,  and  perhaps  eventually  take 
Mr.  Jackson's  place.  The  extraordinary 
part  is  that  the  more  I  dwelt  on  these  par 
ticulars,  the  more  she  seemed  to  avoid  me. 
In  fact,  after  this  I  only  beheld  her  thrice 
again,  and  she  never  vouchsafed  me  a 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  187 

glance.  At  last  one  day  I  learned  that  she 
had  left  for  parts  unknown  with  her  decree 
in  her  pocket,  having  rushed  things  through 
I  suppose  by  some  pull  on  the  judge  and 
by  squaring  the  counsel  on. the  opposing 
side.  Then  of  Pettigrew  I  was  left  with 
nothing  but  regret  and  a  fleeting  impression 
I  had  secured  of  her  with  my  kodak. 
Only  a  photo — Pettigrew — only  a  photo — 
but  I  had  it  developed,  colored  and  enlarged 
and  wear  it  over  my  heart  as  a  talisman  and 
a  charm  against  dyspepsia.  What  would 
you  give  for  a  glance  at  her  countenance?" 

Mr.  Pettigrew  did  not  make  a  high  bid 
for  the  privilege,  but  he  expressed  suffi 
cient  interest  to  cause  the  other  to  draw  a 
photograph  from  his  pocket.  Mr.  Petti 
grew  took  it,  started  violently,  and  turned 
pale.  It  bore  an  unmistakable  resemblance 
to  Mrs.  Asher.  Fortunately  the  young 
man  noticed  nothing,  having  turned  away 
to  conceal  a  sigh. 

"  Her  departure  recalled  me  to  my  duties," 
the  visitor  continued ;  "  and  having  no  fur 
ther  cause  for  delay,  I  came,  and  here  I 
am.  By  the  way,  as  I  see  we're  to  be 


188  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

intimate,  suppose  I  inaugurate  the  friend 
ship  by  ringing  for  a  bottle  of  champagne, 
after  which,  I'll  give  you  just  ten  minutes 
to  put  me  up  to  my  new  work,  fully 
describe  the  life,  tell  me  who  your  friends 
are,  and  what  are  the  latest  quotations  on 
the  Paris  Bourse." 

The  effect  on  Mr.  Pettigrew's  nerves  of 
these  various  disclosures,  professions,  and 
proposals,  was  not  dissimilar  to  that  from 
a  series  of  sharp  electric  shocks.  Before 
he  could  fairly  recover  himself,  Mr.  Jack 
son  was  announced.  It  happened  that  his 
course  home  from  the  Boulevards  lay  in 
Mr.  Pettigrew's  direction ;  and,  when  he 
arrived  near  the  latter's  house,  it  occurred 
to  him  he  might  as  well  stop  and  explain 
his  adventure.  Between  our  representa 
tive's  surprise  at  finding  his  second  secre 
tary,  and  the  first  secretary's  surprise  at  the 
confidence  just  elicited,  the  adventure  with 
the  police  shrank  into  insignificance. 


XXVI. 

MB.    BREEZE    SWEEPS    THROUGH    PARIS. 

POSSIBLY  Mr.  Breeze  gave  a  different  ver 
sion  of  his  delay  to  his  chief;  but  what 
this  was  need  not  be  recorded,  as  Mr. 
Breeze  is  not  destined  to  remain  long 
with  us. 

The  chief  characteristic  of  Mr.  Breeze 
was  his  changeableness.  Having  swept 
into  Paris,  he  soon  swept  out.  Indeed,  the 
duration  of  his  diplomatic  experience  was 
limited  to  just  four  days.  Learning  that 
he  would  be  expected  to  copy  state  docu 
ments  in  a  careful  hand,  and  that  the 
opportunities  of  speculating  in  corner  lots 
in  Paris  were  limited,  he  suddenly  an 
nounced  a  preference  for  a  scamper  through 
the  Holy  Land,  which  had  for  its  some 
what  contradictory  objects  the  locating 
of  Solomon's  Temple  and  the  search  for 
natural  gas.  Thus  he  departed  as  he 
came,  but  not  before  Mr.  Pettigrew  had 
learned  all  he  kue\v  about  the  original  of 


190  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

the  photograph,  which  was  extremely  lit 
tle.  Mr.  Pettigrew  felt  convinced  the 
picture  he  had  been  shown  was  that  of 
Mrs.  Asher,  although  the  name  of  Mrs. 
Ferdinand  Schultze  was  that  given  by 
Mr.  Breeze.  This  difference  of  designa 
tion,  however,  might  be  accounted  for  by 
some  previous  marriage;  and  he  finally 
decided  to  write  to  a  lawyer  of  his  ac 
quaintance,  who  had  lately  moved  to  a 
town  in  the  neighborhood  of  Dianapolis, 
and  who  was  further  under  some  trifling 
obligations  to  him.  Mr.  Pettigrew  begged 
this  gentleman  to  put  himself  into  commu 
nication  with  Mrs.  Schultze's  lawyer  in 
Dianapolis,  and  to  learn  from  him,  or  from 
any  other  source,  all  the  particulars  ascer 
tain  able  about  her.  To  show  the  degree 
to  which  Mr.  Pettigrew's  interest  was 
aroused,  Mr.  Pettigrew  begged  his  friend 
to  spare  no  expense  in  his  search. 

The  conduct  of  his  second  secretary 
pained  and  chagrined  Mr.  Jackson  exces 
sively.  While  he  had  enjoyed  too  brief 
an  acquaintance  with  him  to  admit  of  his 
detecting  any  faults  in  the  young  man's 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  191 

moral  character,  yet,  for  the  father's  sake, 
he  regretted  the  son's  vacillation,  and  was 
ready  to  make  excuses  for  it. 

u  I  sometimes  imagine  that  I  have  found 
a  logical  explanation  of  young  Breeze's 
departure,"  he  observed  one  day  to  his  wife. 

"  You  see  he  was  reared  in  the  hard 
ware  business  and  he  found  the  require 
ments  too  dissimilar.  I  suppose  the 
smartest  of  your  diplomats  here  couldn't 
run  a  hardware  store  if  dropped  into  it 
suddenly  and  I  begin  to  wonder  whether 
the  reverse  is  not  true.  Small  things,  too, 
get  to  have  such  a  meaning;  why,  here 
I  have  been  worrying  all  day  over  a  mere 
change  of  manner  on  the  part  of  the 
minister  of  foreign  affairs.  I  am  not 
sure,  too,  whether  it  may  not  have  existed 
only  in  my  imagination,  but  this  morning 
it  struck  me  that  he  was  less  cordial  than 
usual.  How  would  you  like  me  to  throw 
up  my  position  here  and  try  for  the  nom 
ination  for  the  governorship?  I  think  I 
could  get  it  for  the  asking." 

The  eyes  of  the  lady  brightened.  "  I 
will  not  influence  you,  Samuel;  but, 


192  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

when  you  are  prepared  to  go,  I  am 
ready." 

Mr.  Jackson  was  by  no  means  a  man  of 
suspicious  nature,  but  that  his  instincts 
were  keen  is  proved  by  his  receiving  less 
than  a  month  later  a  semi-official  document 
from  the  State  Department  in  Washington. 
This  hinted  as  delicately  as  possible  that 
the  French  government  had  expressed  it 
self  as  dissatisfied  with  certain  remarks 
attributed  to  our  representative — remarks 
to  the  effect  that  the  present  order  in  France, 
viewed  from  an  American  standpoint,  but 
inadequately  filled  the  conceptions  of  a 
popular  government ;  and,  further,  that  an 
improvement  could  only  be  effected  by  a 
combination  of  the  various  elements  of  dis 
content  in  the  countiy  against  it. 

These  observations  had  been  largely 
quoted  by  the  opposing  parties,  who  were 
thus  furnished  with  a  fresh  weapon  of 
attack:  namely,  the  unfavorable  criticism 
upon  the  newest  democracy  by  the  official 
representative  of  the  oldest.  The  govern 
ment  had  refused  at  first  to  take  any 
notice  of  the  noise  these  reports  occa- 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  193 

sioned,  believing  Mr.  Jackson  to  Lave  been 
simply  misquoted.  But  however  natural 
such  an  inference  might  seem,  it  had  been 
lately  rebutted  by  the  discovery  of  his 
frequenting  cafes  well  known  as  the  rendez 
vous  of  socialists.  The  secretary  of  state, 
after  reciting  these  complaints,  ridiculed 
the  idea  of  their  resting  on  any  substan 
tial  basis;  still  he  closed  his  letter  with 
the  suggestion  that  Mr.  Jackson  should 
remember  the  sensitiveness  of  the  people 
to  whom  he  was  accredited,  and  endeavor, 
as  far  as  possible,  to  avoid  political  sub 
jects  in  the  present  critical  condition  of 
affairs. 

Mr.  Jackson  read  the  communication 
with  astonishment. 

"  But,  I  haven't  spoken  a  word  on  poli 
tics  since  I  have  been  here,"  he  muttered 
to  himself.  "  No,  not  a  word,  except — oh, 
yes!  except  to  that  young  vicomte.  Yes, 
I  remember  now,"  he  continued,  as  his  con 
versation  at  the  Quai  d'Orsay  recurred 
to  his  memory.  "He  must  have  miscon 
strued  what  I  said  to  him  and  have  re 
peated  it.  Then  it  is  enlarged  on  till  it 


194  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

reaches  the  government  through  its  spies. 
Finally,  to  cap  the  climax,  the  cafe,  where 
they  forgot  to  give  me  my  change  that 
night,  turns  out  to  be  a  center  of  agitation. 
I  see  it  all.  But  it's  an  outrage  that  a 
government  that  pretends  to  be  a  sensible 
one  should  give  ear  to  such  reports." 

Mr.  Jackson  was  inordinately  moved. 
Admitting  that  he  had  been  indiscreet,  he 
felt  that  his  conduct  had  been  spied  upon 
and  misrepresented.  The  pettiness  of  the 
whole  affair  was  to  a  man  of  his  nature 
especially  galling.  Make  any  explanation  ? 
Certainly  not.  It  would  be  beneath  him. 
There  was  but  one  course. 

"  Mr.  Pettigrew,"  he  said,  when  that 
gentleman  answered  his  summons,  a  few 
minutes  later,  "  I  am  going  to  send  in  my 
resignation;"  and  he  proceeded  to  relate 
his  grievance. 

As  Mr.  Pettigrew  listened  he  was  dazed 
by  the  prospect  before  him.  If  his  chief 
carried  out  his  intention,  he,  the  secretary, 
would  be  left  as  charge  at  an  increased 
salary  and  probably  for  an  indefinite  period. 
Yet  Mr.  Pettigrew  was  proof  against  these 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  105 

temptations,  and  be  it  said  to  his  credit,  lie 
loyally  endeavored  to  dissuade  his  chief 
from  hasty  action.  Mr.  Jackson  had  a 
certain  stubbornness  of  disposition  that 
argument  sometimes  rather  intensified  than 
abated,  and  he  forthwith  cabled  to  his 
government  to  learn  when  it  would  suit 
their  convenience  to  accept  his  resignation. 

This  communication  proved  as  surpris 
ing  as  it  was  annoying  to  the  State  Depart 
ment.  It  proved  surprising  because,  in 
repeating  the  complaints  of  the  French 
government,  the  department  had  put  the 
matter  with  great  delicacy,  and  merely  in  a 
suggestive  manner  with  regard  to  the 
future  course  of  our  representative. 

The  reason  why  his  dispatch  proved 
irritating  to  the  department  can  be  inferred. 
One  of  its  diplomatic  appointees  in  South 
America,  by  endeavoring  to  carry  out  the 
pacific  scheme  of  reciprocity,  had  brought 
us  to  the  verge  of  war  with  the  country 
to  which  he  was  accredited.  Another  rep 
resentative,  through  too  pronounced  a 
tendency  to  primitive  methods  of  settling 
international  disputes,  had  seriously 


196  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

strained  our  relations  with  a  second  South 
American  government.  The  ambassador 
to  England  had  erred  on  the  other  hand 
in  making  himself  popular  in  the  only 
country  where  one  of  our  representatives 
should  not  be  popular :  while  Sicily  had 
insisted  upon  the  recall  of  another,  when 
she  discovered  that  in  a  speech  in  Congress 
he  had  alluded  to  her  sovereign  as  a 
brigand.  Thereupon  he  was  withdrawn 
and  offered  to  Russia,  which  in  turn  had 
showed  him  the  cold  shoulder  for  no  better 
reason,  poor  man,  than  that  he  had  been 
rejected  by  a  nation  inferior  in  diplomatic 
status.  His  case  was  a  cruel  one.  He  had 
sold  his  house  and  household  effects  in 
America  and  was  now  a  wanderer  over 
Europe,  for  whom  the  administration  were 
at  their  wit's  end  to  find  a  place. 

To  have  Mr.  Jackson  throw  up  his  post, 
on  top  of  all  these  perplexities,  was  to 
give  color  to  charges  of  the  opposition 
that  the  foreign  policy  of  the  government 
had  not  been  administered  with  the  glitter 
ing  success  its  exponents  claimed  for  it. 
There  was  yet  one  far  graver  objection  to 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  19Y 

Mr.  Jackson's  resignation.  If  he  resigned, 
he  would  very  likely  return  to  his  own 
country  and  to  his  native  State.  Here  the 
nomination  to  the  governorship  was  soon 
due,  and  would  probably  gravitate  toward 
him.  The  duration  of  the  gubernatorial 
term  was  three  years,  the  end  of  which 
would  leave  him,  if  elected  (and  of  this 
there  would  be  little  doubt,  if  he  ran),  a 
dangerous  luminary  at  a  period  disagree 
ably  close  to  the  next  presidential  nomi 
nation.  For  Mr.  Jackson,  while  naturally 
being  of  the  party  in  power,  yet  belonged 
to  the  opposite  wing,  and  was  therefore 
more  feared  by  the  administration  than 
had  he  belonged  to  the  other  side. 

Mr.  Jackson,  too,  had  been  steadily 
growing  in  popularity  during  his  absence  ; 
and,  following  our  custom  of  starting  the 
search  for  the  next  President  as  soon  as 
one  has  been  seated,  talk  was  springing 
up  about  Mr.  Jackson's  fitness  for  the  chair, 
while  such  flattering  terms  as  "  The  Grand 
Old  American,"  and  the  "  Gladstone  of  the 
West "  were  being  applied  to  him  with 
greater  frequency.  The  judge  at  home 


198  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

would  be  a  white  elephant  on  the  hands  of 
the  administration.  How  should  the  white 
elephant  be  kept  away,  if  only  till  after 
the  nomination  for  the  governorship  could 
be  given  to  someone  else  ?  The  most 
natural  course  was  to  withdraw  the  too 
popular  English  ambassador  and  offer  his 
post  to  Mr.  Jackson  ;  but  the  administration 
was  not  yet  ready  to  face  the  confession 
of  failure  which  this  would  imply,  and 
reserved  it  as  a  last  resort. 

After  long  deliberation  and  several  cab 
inet  meetings,  it  was  resolved  to  appeal  to 
Mr.  Jackson's  patriotism  (always  a  wise 
course  when  you  desire  to  use  a  man  to 
your  own  advantage)  ;  and,  explaining  the 
ill-effects  on  the  administration  of  his  resig 
nation,  to  beg  him  to  withhold  it :  if  he 
insisted  on  leaving  his  post,  however,  to 
urge  him  to  do  so  under  pretext  of  taking  a 
vacation  for  three  months,  which  would 
throw  him  just  outside  of  gubernatorial 
possibilities.  Mr.  Jackson,  in  the  mean 
while,  had  had  time  to  reconsider  his  action. 
He  was  one  of  those  rare  men  who  can  as 
readily  see  an  error  in  themselves  as  in 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  199 

others,  and  was,  moreover,  always  willing 
to  acknowledge  a  fault.  Nevertheless,  he 
read  between  the  lines  of  the  dispatch  the 
desire  to  keep  him  in  Europe,  and  appre 
ciated  the  motive. 

"  I  am  quite  ready  to  admit,"  he  wrote 
back,  "  that  I  was  a  trifle  hasty  ;  and,  since 
you  appeal  to  my  patriotism,  I  will  with 
hold  my  resignation  for  the  present,  and 
take  a  brief  vacation,  which  I  will  spend  in 
Italy.  There  I  will  decide  whether  I  can 
do  my  country  more  good  by  retaining  the 
French  mission  or  by  going  home  and 
devoting  myself  to  local  politics." 

Some  five  days  later,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jack 
son  started  for  Rome  with  the  Lovejoys, 
who  begged  to  accompany  them  on  a  sort 
of  reconnoitering  tour,  since  business  had 
not  proved  as  brisk  in  Paris  as  they  had 
anticipated. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  de  Trow,  after  their  round 
of  visits  in  the  country,  also  started  for 
Rome.  They  stopped  in  Paris  long  enough 
to  allow  madame  to  arrange  for  leave  of 
absence  in  behalf  of  Signer  de  Maracovini 
and  the  English  attache,  who,  she  insisted, 


200  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

should  accompany  her.  Thus  the  clans 
were  concentrating  at  the  Eternal  City, 
leaving  Mr.  Pettigrew  in  charge  of  the 
embassy,  as  a  reward  for  the  true  mag 
nanimity  of  his  conduct. 

A  couple  of  days  after  the  judge's 
departure,  Mr.  Pettigrew  received  a  reply 
from  his  friend  in  Dianapolis.  While 
this  left  little  doubt  that  Mrs.  Schultze 
and  Mrs.  Asher  were  one,  the  matter  of 
that  lady's  antecedents  was  not  explained 
with  the  fullness  he  had  hoped.  So  he 
wrote  back  to  secure,  if  possible,  further 
particulars.  Having  done  this,  it  occurred 
to  him  to  put  himself  in  correspondence 
with  the  American  consul  at  Cairo,  in  the 
hope  that  that  official  might  be  possessed  of 
any  information  touching  her  sojourn  in 
Egypt.  Then,  having  set  in  operation  all 
this  machinery,  he  learned  a  few  days  later 
that  Mrs.  Asher  had  again  turned  up  in 
Europe ;  and,  of  all  places  in  the  world,  at 
Rome. 


XXVII. 
MRS.  ASHER'S  RESURRECTION. 

YES,  Mrs.  Asher  the  divine,  Mrs.  Aster 
the  mysterious,  again  burst  upon  an  admir 
ing  world  without  so  much  as  a  hint  of  her 
coming.  And  what  more  appropriate  stage 
could  the  fair  young  widow  have  selected 
for  her  reappearance  ?  Life  consists  in 
agreeable  contrasts,  she  often  observed ;  and 
she  was  one  of  the  few  who  acted  up  to 
her  principles.  There  was  much,  too,  in 
Rome  that,  apart  from  religious  sentiment, 
fascinated  her :  its  glorious  history,  its 
wealth  of  art,  its  flavor  of  asceticism,  and 
its  antiquity.  Consequently,  no  one  re 
sented  more  than  she  the  efforts  Rome  was 
making  to  modernize  herself ;  and  in  this 
regard,  I  think,  Mrs.  Asher  showed  her 
sense  of  fitness. 

What  right  has  Rome  to  wake  up  and 

cut  new  streets  ?     What  right  has  she  to 

tear  down  her  historic  buildings,  to  break 

up  her  ancient  gardens,  and  to  lay  bare  her 

201 


202  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

classic  shrines  ?  There  is  an  absolute 
immodesty  about  unbaring  what  time  has 
clothed.  These  belong  to  history,  and  not 
alone  to  Rome  herself.  But  alas !  she  is 
giving  up  her  supremacy  as  queen  of  the 
past  to  become  a  fifth-rate  modern  city, 
bankrupting  herself  in  the  foolish  effort. 
Over  her  cheap  improvements  in  brick  and 
mortar  the  noble  dome  of  St.  Peter's  tow 
ers,  a  relic  of  more  glorious  days ;  priests 
and  monks  flit  like  shadows  among  swag 
ger  officers ;  while  the  table  c?h6te  gongs  at 
the  different  hotels  drown  the  bells  for 
vespers,  and  the  sweet  strains  of  music 
from  the  Pincian  hill. 

There  ought  surely  to  be  left  some  quiet 
nook,  where  the  troubled  soul  may  find 
repose.  Possibly  the  most  anachronistic 
development  of  the  day  was  the  perform 
ance  actually  going  on  here  within  the  sacred 
precincts  of  the  Colosseum,  namely,  the 
American  Wild  West  Show.  It  is  an 
odd  coincidence  that,  not  very  long  ago, 
when  the  same  show  on  its  first  visit 
to  the  Eternal  City  was  astonishing  the 
inhabitants,  the  "  Fall  of  Rome,"  was  the 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  203 

most  attractive  feature  of  a  performance  in 
New  York,  under  the  auspices  of  the 
renowned  and  late  Mr.  Barnum. 

Yet,  in  spite  of  the  sensation  Mrs.  Asher's 
arrival  created,  it  was  not  altogether  flat 
tering  to  that  lady.  Her  abrupt  departure 
from  Paris  was  recalled ;  and,  in  this  con 
nection,  the  gossip  of  her  having  paid  the 
Vicomte  de  Dindon's  debts  was  revived. 
Roman  society  held  a  little  aloof;  and, 
worse  than  this,  it  was  said  that  the  master 
of  ceremonies  was  half  inclined  to  drop  her 
name  from  the  list  of  applicants  for  pres 
entation  at  the  first  court  ball.  Her  sur 
prise  at  finding  the  Jacksons  in  the  city 
was  probably  less  genuine  than  her  annoy 
ance  at  discovering  that  the  Lovejoys  were 
attached  to  their  suite.  Nevertheless,  Mrs, 
Asher  immediately  secured  the  best  rooms 
in  the  hotel  where  the  ambassador  and  his 
wife  were  domiciled,  and  had  her  luggage 
transferred  thither. 

"  To  think  we  should  all  meet  again 
here,"  she  exclaimed  to  Mrs.  Jackson. 
u  There  is  something  providential  about  it." 

Mrs.  Jackson  looked  at  the  lady  askance. 


204  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

She  resented  being  taken  possession  of,  as 
it  were,  in  such  a  way. 

"I  hope  you  are  quite  cured  of  your 
indisposition,"  she  said.  "It  was  in  the 
nature  of  dyspepsia,  was  it  not  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no ;  my  heart,  you  know,  has  an 
unnatural  action ;  but  the  simple  life  in 
my  quiet  retreat,  the  bracing  air  and  the 
strict  regimen  I  subjected  myself  to,  have 
completely  rebuilt  me.  By  the  way,  are 
you  also  going  to  be  presented  next  Wednes 
day  evening?  It  is  the  first  ball  of  the 
season.  I  do  hope  you  are.  It  is  as  well, 
you  know,  to  see  as  many  agreeable  phases 
of  life  as  possible  when  one  is  traveling." 

"  Though  Mr.  Jackson  is  to  have  a  pri 
vate  interview  with  the  king,  he  thought  it 
becoming  to  send  in  our  names,"  replied 
Mrs.  Jackson.  "  He  has  a  great  regard  for 
Italy,  and  considers  that  its  form  of  gov 
ernment  approaches  nearer  to  a  republic 
than  that  of  any  other  kingdom  in  Europe." 

"  Ah,  poor  Italy  !  But  it  is  not  what  it 
was.  With  the  Pope  a  prisoner,  and  the 
great  ceremonies  of  the  Church  abolished, 
its  glory  has  sadly  departed.  You  know,  I 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  205 

look  at  things  from  a  Roman  Catholic 
standpoint." 

"  And  I  look  at  them  from  the  standpoint 
of  a  Methodist,"  said  Mrs.  Jackson  stoutly. 

"  I  have  often  thought,"  was  Mrs.  Asher's 
diplomatic  reply,  "  that  the  real  Church 
should  embrace  all  forms  of  Christianity; 
so  that  Methodists  and  Roman  Catholics 
should  feel  that  they  belong  to  one  fold." 

"  When  that  day  comes,  I  shall  cease  to 
be  a  Christian,"  Mrs.  Jackson  was  about  to 
observe,  but  she  controlled  her  tongue, 
reproaching  herself  for  her  lack  of  warmth 
in  meeting  the  advances  of  the  wife  of  her 
husband's  old  friend. 

Mrs.  Asher  was  also  quick  to  resume  her 
acquaintance  with  Mrs.  de  Trow.  "  Oh, 
how  happy,  happy  I  am  to  fall  again  among 
you  all !  "  she  exclaimed  impulsively  to 
that  lady.  "  The  more  I  live,  the  more  I 
appreciate  that  it  is  our  friendships  alone 
that  make  life  tolerable." 

"True,"  said  Mrs.  de  Trow,  "but  why 
did  you  leave  your  friends  so  abruptly  ? " 

Mrs.  Asher  sighed.  "  Between  ourselves, 
I  was  suffering  severely  from  a  complica- 


206  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

tion  of  complaints.  My  doctor  forced  me — 
quite  forced  me  to  break  oft'  all  my 
gayeties,  and  to  seek  refuge  in  a  quiet 
retreat." 

"  Where  was  it  ?  In  the  mountains  ? " 
asked  Mrs.  de  Trow,  with  evidence  of  a 
keen  curiosity. 

"  No,  not  exactly  in  the  mountains,"  re 
plied  Mrs.  Asher,  as  she  remembered  cer 
tain  wide  and  uninteresting  reaches  of 
prairie  about  this  same  retreat,  "  but  there 

were  very  high,  veiy  high "  She  was 

going  to  say  buildings,  but  changed  it  in 
time  to  "  rocks." 

"  Very  high  rocks  —  why,  how  odd !  " 
replied  Mrs.  de  Trow,  "  with  beautiful  ex 
panses  of  country,  though — fine  views  and 
all  that- 

Mrs.  Asher  interrupted  her.  "  Oh,  pray 
let  us  drop  that  place.  Its  only  recom 
mendation  is  that  it  has  cured  me.  Let  us 
rather  talk  about  the  absent  ones:  that 
dear  Princess  de  Xamarinda  and  little  Lord 
Summerset  de  Vere.  Does  his  mother-in- 
law  still  worry  him  as  of  old,  and  is  it 
true,  quite  true,  that  Mme.  de  Xama- 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  207 

rinda  could  not  invite  her  mother  to  meet 
the  Prince?" 

"  Perhaps  you  would  like  to  hear  about 
the  Vicomte  de  Dindon?"  said  Mrs.  de 
Trow  pointedly. 

"  Ah,  yes  !  I  was  quite  forgetting  him. 
Do  tell  me  about  that  picturesque  young 
man." 

"  They  say  he  took  your  departure  much 
to  heart,"  said  Mrs.  de  Trow.  "Became 
romantic,  adopted  the  grand,  gloomy,  and 
peculiar  style;  but,  you  know,  he  was 
always  so  very  foolish." 

Mrs.  de  Trow  made  it  an  invariable  prac 
tice  never  to  turn  the  cold  shoulder  upon 
people  so  long  as  they  were  above  the 
ground — a  course  that  was  as  praiseworthy 
from  prudential  considerations,  as  it  was 
charitable  from  a  Christian  standpoint. 
Yet,  as  it  would  seem  from  the  foregoing 
conversation,  she  failed  to  receive  her 
friend  with  her  usual  empressement.  A 
glance  at  Mrs.  de  Trow's  position  may 
throw  light  on  her  behavior.  She  had 
brought  Maracovini  and  the  English  diplo 
mat  from  Paris  with  her ;  a  narrow-chested 


208  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

little  Spaniard  named  Pepino  had  been 
picked  up  in  Rome  as  a  possible  substitute 
for  M.  de  Maracovini  (should  that  gentle 
man's  pride  at  any  moment  break  down, 
and  he  cany  himself  away  to  pastures 
new) ;  while  a  good-looking  young  Turk 
engaged  in  a  mercantile  house  here,  and  not 
yet  accustomed  to  a  Yankee  woman's  fool- 
ings,  had  also  been  added  to  her  suite. 
She  had  them  all  four  safe  under  her  wing ; 
and  the  appearance  of  Mrs.  Asher  upon  the 
scene  aroused  in  her  the  same  lively  sensa 
tions  which  the  appearance  of  a  hawk  in 
the  sky  occasions  in  the  mother  of  a  brood 
of  chickens. 


XXVIII. 

SPURNED    BY   THE  QUIRINAL  YOU  HAVE  STILL 
THE     VATICAN. 

Now,  when  the  court  ball  took  place,  all 
the  Americans  present,  with  one  solitary  ex 
ception,  were  received  with  marked  favor  by 
the  queen.  That  exception  was  Mrs.  Asher. 

Next  morning  the  clerical  papers  found 
an  excuse  for  this  in  her  well-known  Cath 
olic  sentiments,  and  in  her  large  gifts,  while 
in  Paris,  to  the  Church.  In  point  of  fact, 
she  had  not  given  a  single  sou  to  any 
charity,  but  the  reputation  of  having  done 
so  was  sufficient  to  bring  a  call  the  same 
afternoon  from  a  well-known  monsignor, 
who  was  always  on  the  lookout  for  possi 
ble  benefactors  of  the  church. 

Spurned  by  the  Quirinal,  the  lady  real 
ized  the  advantage  of  gaining  the  Vatican, 
and  insisted  on  the  visitor's  remaining  to 
dinner ;  for,  as  it  happened,  the  servants 
were  laying  the  cloth  for  that  meal  in  the 
next  room.  To  this  proposal  he  acqui 
esced  with  promptness,  and  a  true  catholic 
ity  of  sentiment ;  since  she  informed  him 

209 


210  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

that  the  American  ambassador  to  France 
and  his  wife,  who  were  not  of  his  Church, 
were  also  to  be  of  the  party. 

Mr.  Jackson  happened  to  be  in  great 
good  spirits  that  evening,  and  he  struck  up 
an  immediate  friendship  with  the  prelate ; 
but  Mrs.  Jackson  looked  at  the  guest  with 
less  favor.  His  priestly  garb,  his  good 
humor,  and  his  stories  grated  on  her ;  while 
his  appreciation  of  the  Chianti  wine,  indif 
ferent  as  it  was,  seemed  unbecoming 
in  a  prelate  of  any  denomination.  Com 
bined  with  her  graciousness,  there  was  some 
times  manifest  in  Mrs.  Jackson  a  certain 
little  primness,  as  I  have  said ;  therefore, 
as  a  sort  of  moral  disclaimer,  she  found 
occasion  to  allude — very  delicately,  to  be 
sure,  but  still  to  allude — to  her  missionary 
pursuits,  and  to  the  good  work  the  Metho 
dists  were  doing  in  the  cause  of  total  absti 
nence  in  Dianapolis. 

"  Ah  !  then  it  is  in  Greece  that  madame 
resides,"  exclaimed  the  monsignor,  in  evi 
dent  perplexity. 

"  In  Greece,"  cried  the  lady.  "  Oh,  no, 
sir !  Dianapolis  is  the  capital  of " 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  211 

"  Those  who  live  out  of  it  irreverently 
designate  it  as  the  Hoosier  State,"  said  the 
judge,  coming  to  his  wife's  rescue. 

"  Ah !  I  see,"  cried  the  monsignor 
recognizing  the  spirit  rather  than  the  point 
of  the  remark.  Then  turning  to  Mrs. 
Asher — "but  this  dear  Signor  Jacqueson 
is  a  veritable  farceur" 

Monsignor  also  had  that  highest  art 
(born  of  quick  sympathy)  of  adapting  his 
conversation  to  all  hearers ;  and,  finding  that 
his  previous  line  was  not  appreciated  by 
the  elder  lady,  he  went  on  to  speak  of 
his  experience  in  heathen  lands,  dwelling 
on  the  hardships  and  dangers  he  had 
encountered.  As  Mrs.  Jackson  listened, 
she  began  to  grow  reconciled  to  his  dress 
and  unctuous  manner,  while  the  fat,  priestly 
face  (mottled  to  the  verge  of  apoplexy  by 
enjoyment  of  the  dinner)  came  to  have  a 
certain  pathos.  Before  the  guest  departed, 
he  had  actually  secured  her  consent  to 
accompany  Mrs.  Asher  to  a  private  inter 
view  with  His  Holiness  which  he  promised 
to  arrange  for  them  in  the  near  future. 


XXIX. 

THE   SUSPICIONS   OF   A    WIFE. 

NEXT  day,  with  her  usual  kindness, 
Mrs.  Jackson  suggested  that  the  dentist 
and  his  wife  should  also  be  included  in 
thio  party.  The  dentist  and  his  wife. ex 
pressed  a  desire  to  take  certain  friends, 
whose  acquaintance  they  had  made  at  the 
table  cFhdte.  The  consequence  was  that  the 
list  swelled  to  dimensions  which  required  a 
postponement  to  one  of  the  regular  days  of 
public  reception. 

Mrs.  Asher  was  extremely  annoyed.  To 
be  lumped  in  with  a  mob  of  dentists,  chance 
hotel  acquaintances,  and  the  like  was  intol 
erable  ;  so  she  cast  about  for  some  means  of 
showing  to  the  Lovejoys  her  exclusiveness, 
in  such  a  way  that  the  Jacksons  could  not 
take  umbrage  at  it. 

"  I'm  getting  up  an  expedition  to  Tivoli," 
she  found  occasion  to  observe  to  Mr. 
Jackson,  before  the  dentist's  wife.  "  I  have 
so  many  friends  that  I  must  strictly  limit 

212 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  213 

the  number  to  ten.     Of  course,  I  expect  you 
and  Mrs.  Jackson." 

Mr.  Jackson's  loyal  nature  evinced  itself 
in  a  paternal  desire  to  show  by  his  own 
conduct  his  disapproval  of  the  derogatory 
reports  concerning  Mrs.  Asher,  some  of 
which  had  reached  his  ear. 

"  Certainly,  my  dear,  we'll  go  with  pleas-' 
ure,"  he  replied. 

The  sole  hesitation  of  Mrs.  de  Trow  in 
as  readily  promising  to  attend  was  on  the 
score  of  her  flock;  but  a  constitutional 
antipathy  to  being  left  out  of  any  kind  of 
festivity,  be  it  a  fancy  ball  or  a  prayer 
meeting,  tempted  her  to  brave  the  risk ;  so 
she  went,  taking  with  her  the  Englishman, 
the  Sardinian,  the  Spaniard,  and  the  Turk. 

Mrs.  Jackson,  finding  herself  fatigued 
by  a  conscientious  course  of  sight-seeing, 
begged  at  the  last  moment  to  be  excused, 
leaving  Mr.  Jackson  to  represent  them 
both. 

By  an  accident,  quite  natural  to  hired 
conveyances,  one  of  the  carriages  on  the 
return  from  this  expedition  was  compelled 
to  stop  on  the  road  for  repairs.  As  all  the 


214  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

seats  in  the  remainder  were  occupied,  and 
the  rest  of  the  party  had  engagements  in 
the  city  to  dine,  Mrs.  Asher  and  Mr.  Jack 
son  insisted  on  becoming  the  sole  victims 
of  the  mishap,  by  waiting  for  the  rehabili 
tation  of  the  vehicle.  Thus  they  arrived 
in  Rome  an  hour  or  so  behind  their  friends. 
The  circumstances  would  have  passed  un 
noticed  by  Mrs.  Jackson,  but  for  the  fussi- 
ness  of  Mrs.  de  Trow,  who  had  run  in  to 
explain  to  Mrs.  Jackson  why  Mr.  Jackson 
and  Mrs.  Asher  would  be  late.  Nothing 
was  further  from  Mrs.  de  Trow's  intentions 
than  to  wound  or  to  arouse  suspicion  in  the 
wife's  breast ;  but  Mrs.  de  Trow  occasion 
ally  allowed  her  tongue  to  carry  her  away. 
Having  developed  a  pronounced  friendship 
for  Mrs.  Asher,  her  feminine  instincts  could 
not  avoid  a  little  dig  at  that  lady,  particu 
larly  as  her  fears  concerning  her  flock  had 
been  half  realized,  Mrs.  Asher  having 
shown  a  dangerous  tendency  to  "swoop" 
during  the  earlier  portion  of  the  expedi 
tion.  It  was,  therefore,  natural  that  she 
should  casually  mention  some  of  the  stories 
going  the  rounds  about  Mrs.  Asher,  and 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  215 

incidentally  introduce,  as  a  matter  of  cur 
rent  gossip,  the  fact  that  nothing  but  Mr. 
Jackson's  earnest  solicitation  had  induced 
the  master  of  ceremonies  to  admit  of  her 
presentation  at  court. 

"  I  only  tell  you  this  to  show  you  how 
cruel  and  venomous  the  world  in  which  we 
live  is,"  she  said  lightly ;  then,  having  eased 
her  mind  as  to  her  friend,  she  hurried  off 
to  dress  for  dinner. 

Mrs.  Jackson  had  heard  of  the  infatua 
tion  of  men  of  her  husband's  age  for 
women  of  Mrs.  Asher's.  Besides,  she 
had  never  quite  appreciated  the  sense  of 
leaving  Paris  and  coming  to  Rome.  Could 
the  arguments  of  her  husband  have  been 
adopted  as  a  mere  pretext  to  renew  his 
acquaintance  with  this  woman  ?  It  was  too 
ridiculous  for  contemplation.  Yet  she 
resolved  to  watch  Mrs.  Asher  very  quietly 
— which  she  did ;  and  she  also  resolved  to 
cease  worrying  about  the  incident — a  reso 
lution  which,  being  a  woman,  she  did  not 
keep.  In  other  words,  she  was  in  a 
condition  that  would  make  her  view  the 
most  ordinary  circumstance  as  suspicious. 


216  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

Such  an  one  occurred  in  connection  with 
this  very  audience  with  the  Pope. 

"Do  you  know,"  Mrs.  Asher  observed 
a  few  days  later  to  Mr.  Jackson,  speaking 
in  his  wife's  presence,  "do  you  know  some 
times  I  think  that  you  had  better  not  go  to 
this  interview  after  all." 

"  And  why  not,  my  dear  ? "  inquired 
the  judge. 

"  Well,  you  are  accredited  to  a  govern 
ment  that  is  especially  jealous  of  the  Vati 
can  ;  and  it  might,  in  some  wise,  complicate 
matters  for  you  when  you  return  to  your 
post.  I  am  not  aware  whether  there  is 
any  value  in  my  suggestion,  but  I  thought 
it  well  to  mention  it  to  you,  for  I  feel  my 
self  responsible  for  introducing  to  you  the 
monsignor." 

"I  see  your  argument,  my  dear;  while 
I  consider  myself  merely  a  tourist,  without 
official  responsibilities  in  Italy,  it  might  on 
the  whole  be  better  not  to  go — or  at  least 
to  postpone  the  audience  till  I  can  have 
time  to  consider  the  question.  Why  did 
that  objection  never  strike  you,  mother  ? "  he 
pleasantly  turned  to  his  wife  and  inquired. 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  217 

"But  if  we  do  not  go,"  urged  Mrs. 
Jackson,  "it  may  cause  remark:  our 
names  have  been  already  sent  in." 

"No,  they  have  not  been  sent  in  yet," 
said  Mrs.  Asher ;  "  and,  even  if  they  were, 
I  could  arrange  it  with  the  monsignor." 

Mrs.  Jackson  turned  coldly  away,  but 
she  could  logically  urge  no  further  objec 
tion.  Mrs.  Asher's  arguments  seemed  well 
taken;  and,  moreover,  she  had  already 
expressed  hesitation  herself  at  kneeling 
before  the  Pope.  In  fact,  it  was  only  when 
her  husband  reminded  her  that  Protes 
tants  of  all  denominations  went,  and  that 
she  must  not  set  herself  above  others,  that 
these  scruples  had  been  stilled.  Yet,  to 
have  him  withdraw  at  Mrs.  Asher's  sug 
gestion  did  not  improve  matters.  It  seemed 
to  show  the  influence  this  woman  had  se 
cured  over  him. 

They  had  been  invited  to  a  grand  review 
this  same  afternoon ;  but  neither  the  lovely 
drive  to  the  grounds,  nor  the  wide,  spread 
ing  plain,  nor  all  the  brilliant  troops  that 
filed  and  counterfiled  past  them,  could 
lighten  the  heavy  weight  in  Mrs.  Jackson's 


218  FRIEND  8  IN  EXILE. 

breast.  No,  nor  the  marked  consideration 
which  they  received  from  royalty — for  his 
majesty,  dismounting  from  his  charger,  ac 
companied  the  ambassador  on  foot  to  the 
reviewing  point;  while  Mrs.  Jackson  was 
invited  to  come  and  sit  with  the  queen  in 
her  own  carriage. 


XXX. 

A  WOMAN'S  DELICATE  REVENGE  ON  ONE  OF 
HER  OWN  SEX. 

"  OH,  where  is  he,  where  is  he  ?  You 
know  he  is  the  only  husband  I  have." 

It  is  Mrs.  de  Trow's  voice,  and  she 
wrings  her  hands,  and  looks  disconsolately 
about  the  honey-combed  ruins  of  Caesar's 
palace,  on  the  highest  elevation  of  which 
she  happens  to  be  standing.  Mrs.  de  Trow 
had  developed  the  curious  propensity  of 
losing  her  husband  on  every  possible  occa 
sion  ;  not  so  much  through  any  fault  of  his 
own,  poor  man,  as  because  of  the  speed 
with  which  that  worldly-minded  lady 
was  wont  to  scamper  through  the  most 
sacred  or  profane  place  of  interest.  Thus, 
wherever  they  go  together,  Mr.  de  Trow  is 
sure  to  be  left  behind  in  some  dark  nook 
or  crevice.  Whereupon,  the  Englishman, 
the  Spaniard,  the  Sardinian,  and  the  Turk 
are  thrown  into  spasms  of  disquietude,  as 
to  whose  task  it  shall  be  to  return  and  fish 
him  back  to  the  light  of  day, 

219 


220  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

On  the  present  occasion,  lie  had  been 
abandoned  in  one  of  the  half-ruined  cham 
bers  whose  arched  roofs  forming,  as  it 
were,  a  series  of  imperfect  terraces,  con- 
stitute  the  stupendous  plateau  known  as 
.Caesar's  Palace.  Mr.  de  Trow  emerging 
into  view,  the  lady's  grief  subsided ;  and, 
reseating  herself,  she  resumed  her  inter 
rupted  conversation.  This  was  not  in 
spired  by  the  glorious  if  decaying  remnants 
of  art  that  were  about  her;  nor  by  the 
majestic  ruins  which  lay  grouped  around 
the  Forum  in  the  plain  below  her ;  nor  by 
the  Appian  Way,  though  each  of  its  great 
flat  paving  stones  could  be  distinctly  dis 
cerned  from  where  she  sat.  She  was  merely 
speaking  about  Mrs.  Asher — which  was  a 
trifle  indiscreet,  since  that  lady  was  barely 
a  biscuit's  throw  distant,  with  three  of 
the  quartette. 

Possibly  her  detachment  of  so  unfair 
a  proportion  of  the  flock  from  their  rightful 
owner  inspired  the  animus  of  what  Mrs.  de 
Trow  was  saying  to  the  Englishman,  who 
alone  remained  by  her  side. 

"  Of  course,  I  would  not  hint  at  any- 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  221 

thing  wrong,  but  it  looks  very  much  as  if 
there  was  something  she  desired  to  conceal, 
otherwise,  why  should  she  absent  herself  so 
mysteriously?  Every  effort  of  mine  to 
discover  where  she  has  been  has  failed. 
Then,  there  was  all  the  talk  about  the 
vicomte's  debts.  Of  course,  it  is  an  old 
story  now,  and  I  never  believed  it ;  but, 
you  must  confess,  it  did  look  odd — her 
leaving  Paris  so  soon  after.  There  is  some 
thing  sinister,  uncanny  about  it  all.  Do 
you  know  what  I  think  she  is  ? "  and  Mrs. 
de  Trow  paused  to  give  effectiveness  to  her 
denunciation.  "  I  think  she  is  a  vampire — 
nothing  more  or  less." 

"  Ah  !  there  you  are,  my  dear,"  she  con 
tinued,  as  Mrs.  Asher  herself  approached. 
"  I  was  just  pointing  out  to  this  unappre- 
ciative  Englishman  the  meaning  of  life  in 
prehistoric  times.  How  I  should  have 
liked  to  live  in  those  days — in  the  days 
of  Caesar,  Trojan,  Romulus,  and  Doremus. 
Think  how  they  struggled  and  died ;  per 
haps  in  that  very  arena  (pointing  to  the 
Colosseum  with  her  red  sunshade),  only  to 
make  a  Roman  holiday,  as  Milton  has  it," 


222  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

"  Ah,  yes !  in  Koine  one  dreams,"  ex 
claimed  Signor  de  Maracovini  pensively. 

"  One  dreams  of  Paris  cooking — now  con 
fess  you  do,"  said  the  Englishman.  "At 
least,  that's  all  I've  dreamt  of.  Haven't  had 
what  they  call  in  the  States  a  square  meal 
since  I've  been  here.  But  misfortunes  never 
cease.  Whv  if  '  Knock-me-down-with-a 
feather '  hasn't  played  hookey  again." 

It  was  a  false  alarm.  Mr.  de  Trow  had 
merely  seated  himself  behind  the  base  of  a 
broken  column,  from  which  he  was  con 
templating  the  scene  of  departed  empire 
beneath  him. 

"You  have  no  romance  in  your  soul," 
said  Mrs.  de  Trow,  looking  severely  at  the 
Britisher.  "  If  my  poor  dear  husband  had 
disappeared  again,  it  would  have  been  you 
I  should  have  sent  after  him  as  a  punish 
ment." 

"As  a  punishment  to  whom?"  asked 
Mrs.  Asher ;  "  to  the  errant  husband,  to 
us,  or  to  himself?" 

"  To  all  round,"  said  the  Britisher ;  and 
they  all  laughed  (exactly  why  I  do  not 
know)  except  the  Turk,  who  looked  glum. 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  223 

Mrs.  Asher  instinctively  felt  that  Mrs. 
de  Trow  had  been  talking  about  her. 
The  next  remark  of  Mrs.  de  Trow  gave 
her  the  opportunity  of  squaring  the  ac 
count. 

"  To  tell  you  the  truth,"  continued  Mrs. 
de  Trow,  still  alluding  to  the  English  diplo 
mat,  "he  regrets  being  down  here  at  all, 
and  spending  a  vacation  away  from  the 
hunting  field.  What  can  you  do  with 
such  a  man  ? " 

"Why  not  occasionally  humor  him?" 
said  Mrs.  Asher,  brightly.  "I  have  an 
idea  that  I  think  will  be  agreeable  'all 
round,'  as  he  says." 

"  What  is  it — what  is  it  ? "  was  inquired 
as  with  one  voice. 

"Why,  that  we  try  a  day  with  the 
hounds.  I  long  for  a  dash  across  country. 
Do  you  not  also,  my  dear  ? "  and  she  turned 
to  Mrs.  de  Trow. 

The  account  was  squared  by  the  mere 
suggestion  of  the  different  pictures  the 
two  women  would  present  on  horseback. 

"  But  I  have,  no  habit,"  pleaded  Mrs.  de 
Trow. 


224  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

"I  will  lend  you  one  of  mine — I  have 
two." 

The  idea  of  Mrs.  de  Trow  in  Mrs.  Ash- 
er's  habit  was  even  more  than  Mrs.  de 
Trow's  flock  could  stand.  The  English 
man  burst  into  a  hearty  laugh ;  Maracovini 
and  the  little  Spaniard  looked  sympathetic, 
and  the  Turk  looked  sad,  which  is  the 
way  in  which  the  Orientals  evince  their 
appreciation  of  humor. 

•"  I  will  confine  myself  to  my  carriage," 
said  Mrs.  de  Trow  with  dignity.  "  I  have 
never  approved  of  women  dashing  across 
country,  as  you  call  it."  She  saw  now 
what  her  friend  was  driving  at. 

"  How  charming  that  will  be,"  went  on 
Mrs.  Asher.  "  You  will  follow  us  to  pick 
up  the  wounded ;"  then,  turning  to  the  Sar 
dinian — "under  such  circumstances  I  am 
sure  Signor  de  Maracovini  will  ride." 

Signor  de  Maracovini  grinned,  though 
his  heart  fell.  His  gallantry  could  not 
refuse  any  task  imposed  by  a  beautiful 
woman,  while  Pepino  and  the  Turk  were 
burning  for  any  means  to  distinguish  them 
selves  in  the  eyes  of  their  fair  charmer. 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  225 

Though,  nothing  more  was  said  at  the 
time,  Mrs.  Asher  did  not  let  the  matter 
drop ;  and,  when  a  day  or  so  later  the  car 
riages  of  the  two  friends  drew  together  on 
the  Pincian,  she  recurred  to  it,  insisting 
that  the  Englishman  should  secure  mounts 
for  the  whole  party,  with  the  exception  of 
Mrs.  de  Trow,  who  could  not,  of  course,  be 
induced  to  reconsider  her  decision. 


XXXI. 

MB.  PETTIGREW  AT  LAST  GAINS  A  CLUE. 

"  MONSIEUR  ANTEL." 

u  Voila,  Monsieur  le  Charge  d' Affaires  !" 
and  the  chief  clerk  stands  erect  before  Mr. 
Pettigrew;  for,  intimate  though  he  was 
with  Mr.  Pettigrew,  he  accorded  the  same 
strict  deference  to  his  superiors  which  he 
rigidly  required  from  the  inferior  clerks 
to  himself. 

"  Do  you  remember  telling  me  some  time 
back  last  summer  of  a  visitor  who  called  to 
inquire  about  Mrs.  Asher  at  the  embassy  ? 
It  was  one  day  during  the  absence  of  Mr. 
Jackson  and  myself." 

"  Parbleu,  monsieur — he  was  not  easily 
forgotten." 

"  Will  you  have  the  goodness  to  describe 
him  again  ? " 

"Well,  I  should  say  he  was  near  fifty 
years  of  age  ;  and,  though  tall,  a  back  deeply 
bent  as  by  study  or  by  sorrow.  He  had  a 
long  black  grayish  beard — and  his  face 

220 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  227 

had  that  livid  hue  of  the  worker  in  a  lead 
mine.  In  short,  it  was  a  head  that  one 
might  expect  to  see  in  some  picture  of  the 
Resurrection  by  Dore" — as  of  a  new  life 
breathed  into  the  decay  of  death,  and 
shining  through  the  sockets.  Monsieur  le 
Charge,  those  eyes  burnt  into  my  very 
soul." 

"  Have  you  any  idea,  why  he  was  seeking 
Mrs.  Asher  ? "  asked  Mr.  Pettigrew. 

"  Except  they  be  tradesmen,  men  seek 
women  generally  but  for  two  considerations 
— love  or  hate." 

"  You  seem  to  be  a  philosopher ;  but 
which  of  these  emotions  do  you  think 
influenced  this  man  ? " 

"  There,  monsieur,  you  ask  me  too  much. 
I  will  only  guarantee  my  reputation  that  it 
had  nothing  to  do  with  the  collection  of 
any  bill,  save  it  be  a  draft  against  the 
past." 

"  You  have  never  seen  him  since  ?  " 

"  Never ;  and,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  am 
not  particularly  anxious  to  do  so." 

"  Antel,"  said  Mr.  Pettigrew,  *  you  may 
order  me  a  cab." 


228  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

As  the  door  closed  on  the  chief  clerk,  he 
laid  his  finger  on  the  side  of  his  nose. 
"  When  M.  le  Secretaire  calls  for  a  cab  at 
this  hour  of  the  morning,  something  decid 
edly  important  must  be  sur  le  tapis" 

M.  Antel's  inference  was  quite  correct. 
After  prolonged  correspondence  between 
his  friend  in  Dianapolis  and  the  consul  in 
Cairo,  Mr.  Pettigrew  had  been  supplied 
with  many  particulars  concerning  Mrs. 
Asher's  career  ;  but  it  was  only  to-day  that 
certain  further  details  reached  him,  making 
the  chain  of  evidence  complete.  These 
largely  concerned  her  marriage;  and,  on 
reading  them  over,  M.  Antel's  visitor 
assumed  strange  possibilities.  The  secre 
tary  keenly  regretted,  therefore,  that  he  had 
not  paid  more  attention  to  the  chief  clerk 
when  he  had  originally  reported  the  visit 
to  him ;  and  his  purpose  in  ordering  a  cab 
was  to  try  and  learn  through  the  police 
whether  the  man  could  be  still  in  Paris. 

If  you  can  give  an  accurate  description 
to  the  authorities,  you  can  obtain  informa 
tion  concerning  anyone  who  has  been  in 
the  city  for  ten  years  back.  The  member 


FEIENDS  IN  EXILE!  229 

of  an  embassy  is  accorded  especial  facilities 
in  such  matters  ;  so,  in  less  than  an  hour's 
time,  Mr.  Pettigrew  learned  that  such  a 
personage  as  he  depicted  had  actually 
arrived  in  Paris  on  the  morning  of  the 
15th  of  June,  and  had  taken  up  his  quar 
ters  in  a  small  lodging  house  in  the  neigh 
borhood  of  Belleville.  In  the  reports  which 
landlords  are  obliged  to  make  of  their 
guests  to  the  police,  the  man  figured  under 
the  name  of  Horton — his  birthplace  and 
last  residence  being  vaguely  put  down  as 
America.  He  was  stated  to  have  picked 
up  a  precarious  livelihood  during  the  period 
of  his  residence  in  the  city  by  playing  in 
the  orchestras  of  second-rate  theaters.  On 
the  10th  of  December  he  had  left  Paris 
for  parts  unknown.  As  this  was  but  the 
19th  of  December,  Mr.  Pettigrew  had 
only  missed  him  by  nine  days.  It  was 
very  provoking ;  but  why  had  he  remained 
so  long  in  Paris,  and  whither  had  he  gone  ? 
If  this  was  really  Mrs.  Asher's  husband, 
the  difference  in  name  could  be  readily 
accounted  for  by  a  desire  to  avoid  notice. 
Further,  the  date  of  his  arrival  in  Paris — 


230  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

namely,  June  15 — coincided  with  Mrs. 
Asher's  departure  to  Dianapolis,  and  might 
explain  the  abruptness  of  her  movements. 
With  the  hope  of  learning  more,  Mr. 
Pettigrew  next  drove  to  the  lodging  house 
mentioned  by  the  police.  He  found  the 
landlord  somewhat  reluctant  to  answer 
questions,  but  the  glitter  of  a  ten-franc 
piece  won  his  confidence,  and  he  admitted 
remembering  his  lodger  perfectly  well.  His 
description  tallied  with  that  of  all  the 
others.  The  lodger  was  a  sad,  odd-looking 
man,  speaking  little  French,  but  a  great 
musician,  supporting  himself  by  playing 
in  the  orchestras  of  theaters,  or  in  cafes 
chantants,  on  the  violin,  and  sometimes  on 
the  piano.  In  fact,  he  played  all  instru 
ments  equally  well,  though  he  was  continu 
ally  losing  his  place,  because  of  a  very  odd 
peculiarity.  It  would  seem  that  after  play 
ing  a  few  nights  intelligently  and  giving  the 
managers  every  satisfaction,  his  thoughts 
would  begin  to  wander;  and  his  music, 
leaving  the  track,  so  to  speak,  would 
evince  the  mental  disturbance  he  was  suf 
fering. 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  231 

The  announcement  made  a  deep  impres 
sion  on  Mr.  Pettigrew. 

"Yes,  a  great  musician,  but  evidently 
possessed  of  one  fixed  idea,"  went  on  the 
landlord. 

"  What  was  that  fixed  idea  ?  " 

The  landlord  shrugged  his  shoulders. 
"Probably  in  some  wise  connected  with 
a  woman.  He  passed  much  of  his  time  in 
wandering  about  the  streets  as  if  in  search 
of  someone." 

Had  the  landlord  any  idea  of  the  reason 
of  his  departure  ? 

"  It  might  be  that  he  had  grown  tired  of 
waiting  whom  he  sought  in  Paris,  and 
was  resolved  to  try  somewhere  else." 

Had  the  landlord  any  idea  of  his  desti 
nation  ? 

"  None  whatsoever.  Ah  !  perhaps  his 
son  would  know.  The  man  used  to  talk 
more  unreservedly  to  him — made  quite- 
a  friend  of  him ;  and,  in  odd  moments,  tried 
to  teach  him  English.  The  boy  was  en 
gaged  at  M'sieu  George^  remise.  He 
earned  ten  sous  a  day  for  carrying  the  pails 
to  the  drivers  when  they  washed  their  car- 


232  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

riages.     If  monsieur  would  wait,  he  would 
call  him.     The  remise  was  just  around  the 


corner." 


Mr.  Pettigrew  signified  his  willingness 
to  wait ;  and,  after  a  few  minutes,  the  man 
returned  with  his  son.  No,  the  boy  knew 
nothing  of  whither  the  stranger  had  gone, 
nor  had  he  taught  him  much  English.  He 
— the  boy — was  rather  afraid  of  the  man, 
and  had  been  guyed  by  his  companions  for 
his  odd  acquaintance.  There  was  only  one 
thing  that  impressed  itself  on  his  recollec 
tion,  which  he  had  forgotten  until  this 
moment :  namely,  a  little  slip  of  paper 
containing  an  address,  whither,  in  rase  any 
letter  came,  it  should  be  redirected  and 
forwarded.  This  piece  of  paper,  the  boy, 
after  much  fishing,  exhumed  from  an 
interior  pocket  —  "H.  C.  Horton,  care 
of  American  Consul,  Cairo,  Egypt,"  was 
written  on  the  paper. 

"  Your  son  has  proved  the  postscript  of 
a  young  woman's  letter,"  said  Mr.  Petti- 
grew  enigmatically. 

"  I  do  not  understand,"  replied  the  inn 
keeper. 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  233 

"  Never  mind,"  answered  Mr.  Pettigrew 
-" I  do." 

Immediately  on  his  return  home  Mr. 
Pettigrew  wrote  a  long  letter  to  Mr.  Jack 
son.  Never  did  he  find  a  missive  harder  to 
indite.  Though  he  had  kept  his  disap 
pointment  in  connection  with  Mrs.  Asher 
to  himself,  her  disappearance  had  caused 
him  a  rude  shock.  Moreover  Mr.  Petti 
grew  was  a  gentleman  and  his  detective 
work  had  been  little  to  his  taste,  but  being 
possessed  of  certain  particulars  it  was  only 
right  that  Mr.  Jackson  should  be  informed 
of  them,  and  he  sent  him  a  detailed  history 
of  Mrs.  Asher's  career  from  its  inception. 
But,  regardless  of  fate,  that  pretty  woman 
has  been  preparing  to  enact  the  part  of 
Diana  ;  and  this  digression  as  to  Mr.  Petti- 
grew's  discoveries  has  enabled  her  to  com 
plete  her  arrangements. 


XXXII. 

THE   TEMPTATION    OF   ME.    JACKSON. 

THEKE  has  always  seemed  to  me  some- 
tiling  peculiarly  incongruous  about  fox 
hunting  in  Rome :  the  ideas  inspired  by  the 
Eternal  City  and  sport  being  the  very 
antipodes  of  each  other.  Yet,  the  fields  of 
the  Campagna  are  broad,  the  fences  high, 
and  the  foxes  both  numerous  and  lively. 
Therefore,  you  can  have  a  magnificent  gal 
lop,  with  the  only  drawback  of  occasional 
stumbling  into  an  overgrown  atrium,  or  of 
blundering  through  the  crust  of  some  inno 
cent  looking  mound,  and  of  being  shot  with 
a  mass  of  rubbish  into  the  long  disused 
dining  room  of  some  suburban  villa. 

The  meet  was  a  little  way  outside  the 
Porta  Pia,  and  was  one  of  the  most  bril 
liant  of  the  season. 

Mrs.  Asher  started  with  the  rest  of  the 
riders  when  the  hounds  threw  off — grad 
ually  attracting  attention  to  herself  as  one 
field  after  another  was  passed,  and  her 

234 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  235 

superb  horsemanship  had  the  chance  to 
make  itself  manifest.  With  a  light-limbed, 
wiry  steed  that  jumped  like  a  deer,  she  was 
soon  leading  the  field ;  the  large  English 
man  sailing  serenely  just  behind  her,  Mara- 
covini  (comical  in  his  misery  on  a  large 
rawboned  horse  of  which  he  was  as  much 
in  horror  as  of  the  fences)  and  little  Pepino, 
the  Spaniard,  following  with  the  Turk  in 
the  rear. 

Mrs.  de  Trow  and  her  husband  followed 
in  a  cabriolet,  and  in  a  very  bad  humor ; 
Mrs.  de  Trow  paying  the  penalty  of  her 
little  indiscretion — Mr.  de  Trow  paying  the 
penalty  of  having  expressed  the  desire  of 
doing  something  else,  and  consequently 
being  compelled,  poor  man,  to  accompany 
madame. 

But  what  is  of  far  more  consequence 
than  the  above  is  that  following  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  de  Trow  came  Mr.  Jackson  in  a  large 
landau.  Mr.  Jackson  had  not  seen  Mrs. 
Asher  for  several  days  past.  He  had  been 
much  entertained  in  ofBcial  circles,  yet  his 
soul  craved  other  association  ;  so  with  the 
excuse  of  hearing  how  Mrs.  Asher  had 


236  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

been  lately  passing  her  time,  he  had  de 
scended  on  the  morning  of  the  hunt  to  her 
sitting  room,  only  to  find  her  on  the  point 
of  starting  forth. 

Now  Mrs.  Asher's  pleasure  at  seeing  him 
was  so  evident,  and  her  entreaties  that  he 
accompany  her  in  her  carnage  to  the  meet 
so  sincere,  that  he  entirely  forgot  a  partial 
agreement  he  had  made  to  conduct  his  wife 
to  an  open  air  lecture.  Thus  he  had  gone, 
sad  as  the  admission  must  be.  In  the  mean 
while,  Mrs.  Jackson  waited.  She  was  one 
of  those  women  who,  when  they  feel 
strongly,  feel  silently.  Why  did  he  not 
come  ?  she  asked  herself.  She  would  be 
late  for  the  lecture,  which  was  one  of 
a  course  the  distinguished  antiquarian 
Lanciani  was  giving  on  the  House  of  the 
Vestals.  The  lectures  were  held  on  the 
very  site  of  its  ruins  ;  and  to  miss  one  now 
was  to  break  the  continuity.  These  lectures 
were  the  only  thing  in  Rome  she  had 
unaffectedly  enjoyed ;  for,  though  by  no 
means  unappreciative  of  the  wonders  of  the 
ancient  city,  its  gloom  chilled  her.  It  was 
intensely  disappointing  that  he  did  no«t 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  237 

come.  But  the  hours  rolled  on,  and  with 
them  the  gloom  of  the  great  city  increased. 

In  point  of  fact,  Mrs.  Asher  had  not 
expected  Mr.  Jackson  to  go  with  her  far 
ther  than  to  the  meet ;  the  understanding 
being  that  the  carriage  should  then  return 
with  him  to  the  city,  and  come  back  for 
her  at  a  certain  hour,  and  at  an  indicated 
spot.  But  Mr.  Jackson  had  never  seen  a 
pack  of  hounds  throw  off  before,  and  the 
unusual  brilliancy  of  the  affair,  the  bright 
weather,  and  the  glorious  Campagna  with 
its  scattered  ruins,  all  fascinated  him  and 
drew  him  on.  Thus  he  continued,  keeping 
in  sight  of  the  riders  as  long  as  possible, 
until  it  became  too  late  for  him  to  return 
and  permit  of  the  carriage  meeting  Mrs. 
Asher  at  the  place  she  had  appointed. 

It  was  past  five  o'clock  when  they 
reached  the  city  together,  and  he  stopped 
in  her  sitting  room  for  a  cup  of  tea.  They 
were  laughing  and  chatting  when  Mrs. 
Jackson  entered. 

The  ambassador  noticed  nothing  unusual 
in  his  wife's  manner.  He  had  not  yet  remem 
bered  the  arrangement  he  had  made  with 


238  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

her  for  the  morning,  and  he  proceeded  to 
relate  the  events  of  the  day  for  her  delec 
tation.  These  were  certainly  harmless 
enough ;  but  he  was  in  great  good  spirits, 
and  a  trifle  excited  over  the  unusual  expe 
rience. 

Mrs.  Jackson  detected  his  exhilaration, 
and  it  jarred  on  her.  She  had  nothing  to 
say  against  the  sport,  which  he  had  wit 
nessed,  in  itself.  It  was  all  very  well  for 
young  people ;  but,  for  a  man  of  his  years 
and  position,  it  seemed  undignified,  to  say 
the  least,  while  his  interest  in  it  appeared 
but  a  mark  of  the  frivolity  to  which, 
under  this  woman's  influence,  he  had  suc 
cumbed.  This  secret  communion  of  his 
with  Mrs.  Asher,  too,  that  made  the  wife 
a  mere  listener  to  the  incidents  of  the  day, 
instead  of  being  a  participator  in  its 
pleasures,  added  poignancy  to  her  deser 
tion.  And  as  she  stood  there  it  seemed  to 
her  her  eyes  were  suddenly  opened  by  his 
conduct  to  a  condition  of  affairs  that  naught 
but  her  blindness  had  concealed  before.  A 
light  word  from  Mrs.  Asher  fanned  the 
smoldering  embers  into  flame. 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  239 

"  I  hope  you  are  not  jealous  of  my  rob 
bing  you  of  him  the  entire  day,"  she 
smiled. 

Mrs.  Jackson  drew  herself  up  to  her 
full  height.  "  No,  madam ;  I  am  not  prone 
to  be  jealous  of  one  like  yourself,  however 
substantial  may  be  the  grounds  you  afford 
me  for  being  so." 

"Why,  madam,  what  do  you  mean?' 
exclaimed  the  judge,  surprised  at  the 
reception  his  recital  had  met  with. 

"  But  I  must  insist,"  continued  the  lady, 
"  that,  as  my  own  dignity  is  concerned,  you 
shall  respect  his ;  and  that  in  future  your 
appointments  may  be  kept  in  a  less  conspic 
uous  manner  than  they  were  to-day." 

Mrs.  Asher  looked  up  in  astonishment. 

"  Why,  madam,  are  you  crazy  ?  I  must 
ask  you  to  restrain  yourself,"  said  Mr. 
Jackson. 

"  No,  sir ;  I  am  not  crazy ;  though  I 
should  think  that  I  might  well  put  that 
same  question  to  you ;"  and  the  irate  woman 
turned  and  faced  her  husband.  "  When  I 
see  you  throwing  yourself  away  upon  an 
adventuress,  whose  only  object  is  to  secure 


240  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

her  own  social  advancement  through  your 
official  position ;  when  I  see  you  unblush- 
ingly  flaunting  her  in  the  face  of  the  world 
— though  the  world  has  already  turned  its 
back  upon  her — then  I  may  well  infer  you 
have  lost  your  senses,  and  that  your  appre 
ciation  of  the  world's  good  opinion  has 
been  blunted  by  your  intrigue." 

Mr.  Jackson  was  seriously  embarrassed. 
Because  Mrs.  Asher  was  unprotected — 
because  she  was  criticised — was  the  very 
reason  why  he  should  champion  her ;  not  to 
have  offered  her  his  support  would  have 
been  repugnant  to  his  manhood;  besides, 
the  first  duty  of  his  official  position  was 
to  protect  the  oppressed.  That  his  wife 
should  take  another  view  of  his  relations 
with  Mrs.  Asher  surprised  him  inor 
dinately;  and,  for  a  moment,  he  believed 
his  wife  was  beside  herself. 

Mrs.  Asher  looked  at  her  with  a  grand 
air  of  pitying  disdain,  and  swept  out  of  the 
room. 

Three  hours  later  Mrs.  Asher  was  in 
her  sitting  room,  when  Mr.  Jackson  was 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  241 

announced.  His  manner  was  extremely 
embarrassed  and  she  saw  at  a  glance  that 
he  resented  his  wife's  harshness.  The  fact 
is  a  man  can  never  view  these  matters  quite 
in  the  same  light  as  his  better  half.  Mrs. 
Asher  listened  to  his  excuses  without 
reply.  She  had  been  deeply,  mortally 
offended.  While  not  a  good  woman,  she 
wa£  not  entirely  a  bad  one,  and  the  insinua 
tions  of  the  wife  were  less  than  half  true. 
She  had  clung  to  Mr.  Jackson  not  alone  for 
social  advancement,  but  because  he  was 
strong  and  loyal.  And  as  he  talked  on, 
the  future  opened  before  her  in  all  its 
desolation;  suddenly  an  idea,  wild  and  ex 
travagant,  but  bred  of  her  despair,  occurred 
to  her.  Might  she  not  detach  him  from  his 
wife  to  herself?  Once  under  her  influ 
ence,  the  divorce  courts  could  sanction  the 
rest.  Such  unions  had  happened  before 
— why  not  again?  The  idea  strangely 
suited  her  present  mood.  She  let  her  head 
fall  into  her  clasped  hands,  and  presently 
Mr.  Jackson  heard  her  sobs. 

"  Oh,   you   must   restrain   yourself,  my 
dear,  you  must  restrain  yourself  !"  he  urged. 


242  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

She  lifted  her  eyes  and  looked  at  him 
fixedly.  "  You  do  not  realize  how  a  wo 
man,  situated  as  I  am,  alone  in  the  world 
and  with  no  one  to  protect  her,  feels  such 
accusations." 

"  I  know,  I  know,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Jack 
son  contritely. 

"And  yet,"  she  continued,  "  if  I  thought 
you  had  any  such  feeling  for  me  as  your 
wife  implied  I  would  not  mind." 

"I  do  not  quite  catch  your  meaning," 
said  Mr.  Jackson. 

"  I  mean  I  realize  that  you  only  care  for 
me  as  a  friend,  if  you  care  for  me  at  all." 

"And  how  else  would  you  have  me  care 
for  you  ?" 

"  Can't  you  tell  ?" 

Mr.  Jackson  surveyed  her  with  an  as 
tonishment  no  language  can  express. 

"  Say  that  you  will  not  desert  me,"  .she 
continued.  "My  life  has  been  so  hard,  I 
have  had  so  much  to  struggle  against,  you 
will  not  be  hard  too." 

"  You  mean  to  imply,  madame,  that  you 
actually  care  for  me?"  he  inquired  at  length. 

"  Can  I  help  caring  for  you  after  all  the 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  243 

kindness  you  have  shown  me?  When  I 
think  of  it  all  and  realize  that  it  must 
cease,  I — I — "  and  she  sank  back  on  the 
lounge  in  a  paroxysm  of  tears. 

"But  what  would  you  have  me  do?" 

Mrs.  Asher's  time  had  come,  all  else  had 
been  preliminary  ;  she  rose  to  her  feet  and 
approached  him.  "  I  would  have  you  re 
fuse  to  discard  me  at  any  one's  instance,  I 
would  have  you  tell  me  that  you  would 
make  any  sacrifice  for  my  sake,  I  would 
have  you  tell  me — tell  me,  in  short,  what  a 
woman  who  cares  for  a  man  wants  to  hear 
from  his  lips.  My  whole  future  is  in  your 
hands." 

Mr.  Jackson  dimly  recognized  what  her 
words  implied,  but  he  believed  her  sincere 
and  he  was  moreover  deeply  moved.  He 
began  to  say  something,  but  hesitated  and 
faltered,  when  suddenly  catching  sight  of 
himself  in  a  mirror,  of  his  gray  hairs  and 
his  wrinkles  he  broke  away  from  her  and 
left  the  room. 

Mrs.  Asher's  tears  subsided.  He  had 
not  protested,  he  would  return.  The  first 
trick  was  hers  and  the  cards  had  been 


244  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

forced  upon  her,  but —  Ah,  well !  the  world 
was  now  her  foe  and  she  must  conquer. 

Mr.  Jackson  went  out  into  the  street. 
He  wanted  air,  and  he  wanted  to^think. 
No,  no,  he  had  not  protested  as  he  should, 
and  he  recognized  his  own  turpitude.  The 
twilight  had  just  deepened  into  evening, 
and  already  the  firmament  was  bright  with 
stars.  And  as  he  went  two  pictures  kept 
recurring  to  him:  one  of  a  life  poetic  and 
roseate  and  perfumed,  through  which  the 
soft  strains  of  enticing  music  seemed  to 
float — the  other  a  picture  of  his  actual 
life,  a  life  of  Congressional  Records, 
of  dry  statistics,  and  of  routine.  Why 
could  not  society,  nay,  morality,  reconcile 
and  permit  the  realization  of  the  two  pic 
tures — the  life  of  music  and  of  poesy  with 
that  of  the  homely  virtues  ?  The  classic 
civilizations  admitted  of  both,  when 
Aspasia  was  recognized,  and  honored. 
The  very  chivalry  of  his  nature  drew  him 
to  this  woman,  and  the  recent  severity  of 
his  wife  toward  her  accentuated  his  feelings. 
We  never  know  the  depths  of  our  nature 
till  they  are  sounded,  and  in  us  all  are 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  245 

depths  that  no  plumb  can  reach  when 
woman  holds  the  line. 

He  was  highly  wrought  up,  as  only  that 
mail  who  has  never  known  temptation,  and 
to  whom  it  is  presented  without  warning, 
can  be.  As  he  went  he  resented  his  years, 
that  seemed  to  render  his  position  gro 
tesque,  and  especially  the  livery  of  gray  in 
which  time  decks  its  slaves.  And  through 
his  troubled  thoughts  sprang  up  a  secret  re 
sentment  against  nature,  that  for  pain  and 
sorrow  finds  no  compensation,  yet  for  every 
pleasure  an  antidote,  making  sickness 
and  disease,  instead  of  health,  contagious, 
and  then  expects  man  to  regard  her  as  a 
mother. 

The  streets  he  had  followed  became  nar 
rower  and  less  frequented ;  and,  suddenly 
passing  under  a  ponderous  arch,  he  found 
himself  on  the  border  of  the  Campagna. 

By  the  route  by  which  he  had  come,  the 
transition  between  the  town  and  country 
was  abrupt.  Save  for  the  barking  of  a 
dog,  the  tinkling  of  a  mule  bell,  or  the  low 
ing  of  distant  cattle,  all  was  as  still  as 
the  stars  above  his  head.  Here  and  there 


240  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

along  the  road  before  him  were  crumbling 
mounds,  tombs  of  great  men  of  imperial 
Rome.  How  vain  they  proved  human 
effort  to  be !  How  ridiculous  the  struggle 
for  distinction,  and  how  true  that  greatest 
truth :  "  Dust  thbu  art,  and  unto  dust  thou 
shalt  return." 

The  life  of  the  senses  at  least  had  this 
advantage ;  it  brought  enjoyment  while  it 
lasted,  which  ambition  never  did.  Again 
the  memory  of  what  he  had  read  of  classic 
times  came  back  to  him — the  times  of 
Aspasia  and  when  the  state  was  more  im 
portant  than  the  family.  But  Rome  had 
absorbed  its  civilization,  its  art  and  its 
religion  from  Greece,  and  what  had  be 
come  of  Rome  ?  Destroyed — wiped  out — 
leaving  naught  but  a  heap  of  ruins.  As 
he  stood  there  beneath  the  stars,  amid  the 
long  lines  of  tombs,  the  great  secret  of 
nations  was  revealed  to  him.  Because  of 
these  Aspasias  first  Greece  and  then  Rome 
fell.  Aye !  and  to  his  distorted  imagina 
tion  a  greater  lesson  seemed  revealed  to 
him — a  lesson  of  nature,  viz.,  that  as  life 
comes  through  woman,  so  through  woman 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  24f 

comes  destruction ;  and,  by  a  sort  of 
retributive  justice,  in  pursuance  of  that 
inexplicable  wave-like  principle  on  which 
the  universe  moves,  woman  makes  man 
and,  in  the  end,  all  civilization,  suffer  for 
the  torments  to  which  she  has  been  sub 
jected  in  bringing  man  into  existence.  A 
reflection  so  unusual  to  his  ordinary  trend 
of  thought  startled  him. 

He  returned  to  his  hotel  wearied  and 
disturbed.  He  knew  that  she  was  in  the 
hotel,  and  the  temptation  was  keen  to  go 
to  her,  and  let  the  nations  depend  for  their 
strength  on  other  and  more  general  founda 
tions.  In  this  mood  he  sat  down  in  the 
reading  room ;  and,  as  he  sat  there,  he  re 
membered  a  letter  marked  confidential, 
from  Mr.  Pettigrew,  which  he  had  not  yet 
read.  He  listlessly  broke  the  seal. 

"  My  dear  Judge,"  it  began,  "  I  think  you 
will  do  me  the  credit  of  appreciating  that 
any  communication  to  you  of  a  painful 
nature  is  an  extremely  distasteful  task ;  and 
yet  I  should  feel  that  I  had  ill  requited 
the  many  kindnesses  received  at  your  hands, 
did  I  withhold  any  information  which 


248  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

I  think  you  Lave  a  right  to  hear.  That 
this  will  shatter  your  confidence  in  one  who 
enjoys  the  distinguished  privilege  of  your 
own  and  Mrs.  Jackson  s  friendship  cannot 
blind  me  to  my  sense  of  duty." 

The  Judge  skipped  an  intervening  page 
of  explanations  as  to  how  certain  particulars 
had  reached  Mr.  Pettigrew,  and  he  resumed 
at  these  lines :  "  I  refer  to  a  lady  you  have 
known  by  the  name  of  Mrs.  Asher.  I  give 
you  her  history  in  its  proper  order.  Con 
cisely  stated,  she  is  the  daughter  of  the 
keeper  of  a  small  tavern,  the  proximity  of 
which  to  West  Point  brought  her  into  fre 
quent  contact  with  an  officer  stationed  at 
that  military  post.  An  engagement  re 
sulted,  which,  through  the  interference  of 
the  suitor's  friends,  was  broken  off.  In 
pique  at  her  treatment,  she  gave  heed  to 
the  importunities  of  a  man  considerably 
her  senior  in  years,  who,  from  the  time  she 
was  a  girl  at  the  academy  where  he  taught 
music,  had  persisted  in  his  attentions  to 
her. 

"  The  union  proved  ill-advised.  Though 
born  in  America,  her  husband  was  of  Ger- 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  249 

man  parentage ;  and,  being  of  a  morose,  sus 
picious  nature,  proved  little  inclined  to 
make  allowances  for  the  difference  in  their 
age.  In  fact,  it  is  doubtful  whether  his 
mind  was  not  slightly  unbalanced.  People 
said  he  chafed  at  the  limited  horizon  of 
his  professional  prospects,  and  he  was 
thought  to  brood  over  the  failure  of  an 
opera,  to  the  construction  of  which  he  had 
devoted  the  best  ten  years  of  his  life.  Under 
these  circumstances,  she  turned  for  conso 
lation  to  her  former  lover ;  and  one  of  their 
stolen  interviews  coming  to  the  ears  of 
her  husband,  his  jealousy  transcended  all 
bounds,  and,  with  threats  and  upbraidings, 
he  drove  her  from  his  house. 

"People  in  the  neighborhood  remem 
ber  the  circumstance  well,  from  the  in 
decorous  manner  in  which  it  was  re 
vealed  to  them.  In  addition  to  teaching 
music,  he  was  employed  as  organist  in  one  of 
the  principal  churches  of  the  village  where 
the  school  was  situated ;  and,  on  the  morn 
ing  succeeding  the  rupture,  he  took  his 
usual  place  (for  it  was  Sunday)  in  the  choir. 
I  quote  from  one  of  the  local  papers. 


250  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

"'For  a  time  nothing  odd  was  noticed 
in  the  performance  ;  but,  when  the  collec 
tion  was  being  taken,  the  voluntary  began 
to  assume  strange  variations ;  flashes  of 
weird  and  unwonted  sound  darted  like 
summer  lightning  through  the  solemn 
rhythm,  to  be  succeeded  by  snatches  of 
dances  that  were  as  inopportune  as  they 
were  profane.  Never  were  such  strains 
heard  in  a  church  before';  when,  at  last, 
one  connected  melody  predominating,  the 
opera,  that  had  so  long  slumbered  in  the 
disordered  brain,  was  poured  out  in  a  mad 
dened  torrent. 

"  *  It  was  not  till  the  music  had  ceased  that 
an  effort  was  made  to  dislodge  him.  The 
sexton  and  a  deacon,  who  mounted  to  the 
gallery  for  that  purpose,  found  him  sitting 
with  his  head  buried  in  his  hands.  At 
their  approach,  he  woke  as  from  a  dream ; 
and,  shaking  himself  free  from  their  grasp, 
advanced  to  the  front  of  the  gallery,  and 
made  the  startling  announcement  to  the 
congregation  that  his  troubles  had  tem 
porarily  affected  his  mind.  Then,  with 
an  utterance  as  impassioned  as  his  music, 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  251 

he  told  his  domestic  miseries.  "His 
charges,"  continued  Mr.  Pettigrew,  "how 
ever  ill-timed  and  possibly  exaggerated, 
roused  public  sentiment  against  Captain 
Asher,  and  the  too  evident  derangement 
which  inspired  them  was  laid  at  his  door. 
Effort  was  made  to  hush  the  matter  up, 
but  he  was  finally  compelled  to  resign  his 
commission.  In  the  meanwhile  the  dis 
carded  wife  had  procured  a  divorce,  and 
turning  his  thoughts  to  foreign  service 
the  captain  induced  her  to  marry  him  and 
to  accompany  him  to  Egypt,  whose  ruler 
at  that  time  was  engaged  in  the  reconstruc 
tion  of  his  army.  Here  he  succeeded  in 
procuring  employment  as  instructor  of  rid 
ing  to  a  cavalry  regiment  under  the  com 
mand  of  a  relative  of  the  Khedive. 

"This  occupation  proved  little  to  his 
taste  and  so  successfully  did  he  cultivate 
the  friendship  of  his  superior  that  he 
eventually  secured  a  concession  from  the 
Government  in  connection  with  a  gambling 
establishment  at  Port  Said.  Some  aver 
his  emoluments  excited  the  envy  of  the 
Government — others  that  he  so  far  forgot 


252  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

what  was  due  his  patron  as  to  include  him 
among  the  victims  at  his  tables.  At  all 
events,  the  enterprising  officer  was  found 
one  morning  in  bed  in  a  condition  of  coma 
from  which  he  never  rallied,  and  Mrs. 
Asher  repaired  to  Paris  to  enjoy  the  fruits 
of  her  prudence  in  having  persuaded  him 
to  invest  his  very  considerable  profits  in 
French  rents  and  under  her  own  name. 
Here  in  some  way  she  learned  that  her  di 
vorce  had  been  defective,  and  consequently 
her  marriage  to  Captain  Asher  was  void. 
"  I  now  come  to  inference,"  continued  Mr. 
Pettigrew,  "she  certainly  went  to  Diana- 
polis  to  perfect  her  divorce,  but  I  infer 
the  necessity  of  this  step  was  created 
by  the  reappearance  of  her  hus 
band.  Probably  he  had  heard  through 
the  press  of  her  being  here,  and  it  revived 
his  animosity  against  her.  Owing  to  the 
secrecy  of  her  movements  he  failed  to  learn 
where  she  had  gone ;  and,  up  to  within  a 
few  days,  had  simply  stayed  on  in  Paris  in 
hopes  of  her  return.  Then  he  had  proba 
bly  repaired  to  Cairo  on  the  slender  chance 
of  finding  her  there — failing  to  hear,  in 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  253 

the  meantime,  that  she  had  reappeared  in 
Rome." 

In  confirmation  of  these  surmises,  Mr. 
Pettigrew  recalled  to  the  judge's  memory 
the  strange  visitor  who  in  the  summer  had 
stopped  at  the  embassy  to  inquire  about 
Mrs.  Asher — recited  the  particulars  he, 
Mr.  Pettigrew,  had  learned  of  this  per 
son's  life  while  residing  in  Paris — recited 
the  many  points  of  similarity  he  pos 
sessed  in  common  with  Mrs.  Asher's  hus 
band,  and  gave,  as  a  proof  of  the  belief 
that  he  had  subsequently  gone  to  Cairo, 
the  address  produced  by  the  hotel-keeper's 
son  for  the  forwarding  of  letters. 

Mr.  Pettigrew  closed  his  epistle  with  the 
unanswerable  statement  that,  while  his 
belief  as  to  her  pursuit  by  an  aggrieved 
husband  might  be  groundless,  there  was 
enough  known  and  proved  about  the  lady 
to  make  her  anything  but  a  desirable  asso 
ciate  for  Mrs.  Jackson. 

Never  was  a  missive  better  timed. 
It  completely  changed  the  current  of 
Mr.  Jackson's  thoughts.  As  he  read 


254  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

his  intoxication  evaporated ;  and,  at  the 
close  of  the  letter,  he  was  once  more  him 
self.  Though  some  instinct  told  him  that 
the  main  lines  of  the  story  were  true,  yet 
he  felt  that  he  ought  not  to  accept  them 
unanswered.  He  called  a  servant,  and 
begged  to  learn  whether  Mrs.  Asher  would 
receive  him.  Ten  minutes  later  he  was 
again  in  her  sitting  room,  and  placed  the 
letter  before  her. 

She  read  it  attentively,  then  threw  it 
aside.  "Suppose  it  were  true,  would  you 
consider  me  past  redemption  ? "  she  in 
quired. 

"I  shall  always  believe  that  you  have 
been  more  sinned  against  than  sinning ; 
but,  under  the  circumstances,  I  deem  it 
advisable  that  our  intercourse  should 


cease." 


"  Then  the  world  is  nothing  to  me." 

"  Madam,  you  have  been  trying  to  make 
a  fool  of  me." 

"Never;  I  would  give  up  my  life  for 
you,"  she  replied. 

The  false  note  was  now  quite  dis 
tinct, 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  255 

"  My  dear  young  woman  ,"  he  briefly 
answered,  "  though  you  may  not  believe 
it,  I  have  had  a  pretty  wide  experience  of 
life,  and  I  have  learned  this :  that  a  woman 
never  gives  up  anything  for  a  man  past 
fifty,  except  the  debt  be  paid  at  usurious 
interest." 

Mrs.  Asher  drew  away  from  him. 
"  Then  you  can  go,"  she  said  curtly ;  "  if 
that  is  your  belief,  I  can  save  myself  the 
trouble  of  any  further  conversation.  I 
would  be  alone."  And  he  went  without 
another  word. 

Mrs.  Asher  read  the  whole  situation  at 
a  glance.  Even  should  Mr.  Jackson  keep 
to  himself  the  information  he  now  pos 
sessed,  their  relations  could  never  be  the 
same ;  and  without  his  support  she  recog 
nized  herself  on  the  eve  of  social  collapse. 
Marriage  now  alone  could  save  her.  Her 
hope  concerning  the  ambassador  had  been 
too  extravagant,  but  the  vicomte  was 
left.  Seizing  a  telegraph  blank,  she 
hurriedly  wrote  that  she  would  be  at  Nice 
by  a  certain  date,  begging  him  to  meet  her 
at  an  address  which  she  gave.  The  next 


256  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

evening  she  departed ;  and,  by  a  curious 
coincidence,  Signor  de  Maracovini  followed 
by  a  later  train,  his  pride  having  at  last 
consented  to  break  with  Mrs.  de  Trow. 


XXXIII. 

MARRIAGE    AS     A    LAST     RECOURSE     FOR   THE 
DESPERATE. 

ONCE  started,  Mrs.  Asher's  spirits  rose 
with  every  revolution  of  the  wheel.  She 
had  played  the  grande  dame  till  the  restraint 
had  become  well-nigh  intolerable ;  and,  by 
the  time  the  train  that  bore  her  reached 
the  Mediterranean  shore,  her  sense  of  free 
dom  was  complete.  All  appealed  to  her 
mood :  the  blue  sky  that  descended  like  a 
god  of  old  to  mingle  lover-like  with  the 
sea,  till  all  dividing  line  of  horizon  was 
lost ;  the  wavelets  that  laved  the  shore  and, 
in  coquettish  sport,  kissed  the  pebbles  on 
the  beach ;  why,  the  very  rocks  that  jutted 
out  into  the  laughing  sea  appeared  coulewr 
de  rose,  and  the  castles  that  crowned  their 
crests  seemed  to  smile  rather  than  to  frown. 
All  nature  held  a  caress,  and  the  breeze 
was  perfumed  as  a  lover's  breath. 

How  much  was  lost  in  that  vain  struggle 
for  respectability  —  respectability  repre- 

257 


258  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

sented  by  a  Mrs.  Jackson.  Mrs.  Jack 
son  indeed !  How  she  loathed  and  abomi 
nated  the  combination  of  qualities  of 
which  that  estimable  lady  seemed  to 
her  the  embodiment.  What  a  contrast 
too  was  the  brightness  here  to  the  gloom 
of  ages  that  hung  over  the  city  she  had 
left.  No  !  life  with  its  pulsations,  its  in 
stincts,  its  hopes,  its  quick  joys,  and  even 
its  woes,  for  her  !  Rome  like  a  shadow 
was  behind  her,  and  intoxication  before. 
But  she  must  win  the  Vicomte  and  she 
pictured  the  impassioned  telegram  that 
would  be  waiting  her  at  Nice,  and  even 
began  to  conjure  up  a  sentiment  for  the 
youthful  author.  He  was  handsome  after 
all;  but  why,  why,  in  conscience  sake, 
was  he  not  dark?  Brown  was  the  tint 
for  men,  as  blonde  was  for  women.  She 
argued  on  the  best  of  all  premises,  being 
blonde  herself. 

Arrived  at  Nice,  she  found  the  following 
answer  to  her  dispatch:  "A  thousand 
regrets.  Impossible  to  come  for  the  mo 
ment.  I  write  this  evening." 

The  morning's  mail  brought  the  prom- 


FRIENDS  IN  EXIL&  259 

ised  explanation,  announcing  the  vicomte's 
engagement. 

Yes,  the  Vicomte  de  Dindon  was  act 
ually  engaged  to  be  married.  Accustomed 
as  were  his  friends  to  associate  the  unex 
pected  with  him,  the  fact  surprised  them 
no  less  than  Mrs.  Asher.  If  we  must 
admit  it,  too,  when  he  found  himself  in 
the  meshes,  he  was  as  much  astonished  as 
any  of  the  rest.  It  had  come  about  in  this 
wise.  His  interview  with  the  head  of  the 
progressive  party  had  been  followed  by  a 
long  paralysis  of  mental  inactivity.  Deem 
ing  the  occasion  favorable  for  a  word  of 
advice,  his  father  came  to  him  one  morn 
ing,  and  very  abruptly  ejaculated:  "My 
son,  why  do  you  not  marry  and  settle 
down?" 

A  curious  characteristic  about  the  vi- 
comte  was  that,  if  you  wished  to  win  him 
over,  you  must  take  him  by  storm.  If, 
after  considerable  argument  and  prepara 
tion,  you  urged  the  advantage  of  a  short 
trip  to  the  coast  of  England,  say,  he  would 
hesitate  and  find  better  arguments  for 
remaining  where  he  was.  If  you  ap- 


260  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

preached  him  suddenly,  however,  and  pro 
posed,  without  giving  any  reasons,  an  expe 
dition  to  an  island  in  the  imperfectly 
discovered  lake  of  Victoria  Nyanza,  or  bet 
ter  still,  to  the  South  Pole,  to  investigate, 
perhaps,  the  theory  of  perpetual  motion,  he 
would  be  seized  with  sudden  enthusiasm 
and  would  very  likely  exclaim:  "Why, 
there  is  certainly  an  idea." 

Therefore,  when  his  father,  who  knew 
his  peculiarities,  proposed  marriage,  he  did 
so  with  a  precipitancy  that  made  it  attract 
ive,  and  captured  the  young  man  immedi 
ately  by  urging  no  arguments  in  its  favor. 
Now,  the  moment  anything  struck  his 
fancy,  the  vicomte  himself  immediately 
found  good  and  effective  reasons  to  recom 
mend  it — putting,  as  it  were,  the  logical 
cart  before  the  horse,  and  making  his  argu 
ments  subsidiary  to  his  decision  instead  of 
basing  it  on  them.  In  the  present  case, 
the  pros  were  so  palpable  that  it  surprised 
him  that  the  idea  had  never  occurred  to 
him  before. 

The  lady  whom  his  father  went  on  to 
name  was  rich,  and  with  wealth  one  could 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  261 

rule  the  world.  She  was  brune,  which 
must  mean  constancy,  since  Mrs.  Asher  was 
fair;  and  besides,  it  would  be  a  graceful 
way  of  showing  the  latter  how  well  he 
could  do  without  her,  should  she  ever  again 
appear  on  the  surface  of  fashionable  life. 
Altogether,  the  suggestion  was  a  good 
one. 

The  announcement  came  upon  Mrs. 
Asher  like  a  mild  species  of  thunderclap. 
Her  control  over  men  had  been  so  absolute 
that  the  idea  of  their  independent  action 
was  quite  outside  her  calculations.  For 
the  first  time,  she  began  to  experience  a 
faint  regard  for  him.  And  as  the  probabili 
ties  of  marriage  receded  from  her  by  just 
so  much  its  value  was  enhanced.  Mrs. 
Asher  was  not  a  vindictive  woman — to  live 
and  to  let  live  was  her  object,  but  she  was 
a  desperate  woman,  and  the  desperate 
will  strike.  How  could  she  break  off  his 
engagement  ?  Ah,  there  was  a  way,  yet 
would  it  assist  her  in  her  own  schemes  ? 
Perhaps  and  perhaps  not.  But  it  would 
remove  the  first  barrier  to  her  ambitions, 
of  this  there  could  be  no  doubt. 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

With  this  barrier  removed  the  rest  could 
be  left  to  chance.  Besides,  to  the  least 
vindictive  of  us  there  is  a  secret  pleasure 
in  retaliation.  She  had  nothing  to  lose 
now,  for  she  had  cut  herself  off  from  the 
world  and  could  at  last  give  rein  to  her 
feelings.  Yes,  she  would  strike  coute  qui 
coute. 


XXXIV. 

THE  VISCOUNT'S  FALL. 

PARIS  is  lying  chilled  and  disconsolate 
in  the  icy  grasp  of  a  cold  winter,  albeit  a 
bright,  warm  day  is  occasionally  interjected 
as  if  left  over  from  the  autumn,  or  as  a 
precursor  of  better  days  to  come  in  the 
approaching  spring.  Then  Paris  comes  to 
life.  Dealers  are  seen  on  the  Champs- 
filysees  breaking  in  four-in-hand  teams; 
gay-looking  vehicles  emerge  like  butterflies 
between  showers ;  military  and  civilian 
devotees  of  sport  canter  out  to  the  Bois  to 
try  their  chargers  over  the  well-worn  hur 
dles  near  the  Cercle  des  Patineurs.  But 
all  these  indications  of  outdoor  life  are 
spasmodic  and  exceptional.  Paris  is  in 
doors  ;  and  society,  having  little  to  distract 
its  attention,  is  in  an  especially  favorable 
mood  for  making  the  most  of  anything  in 
the  nature  of  a  scandal.  Indeed,  there  is 
something  atmospheric,  I  think,  behind  the 
susceptibility  of  the  public  to  receiving  and 


264  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

transmitting  evil  about  one  of  its  own  mem 
bers.  Certainly,  what  at  one  moment  will 
hardly  excite  an  unfavorable  remark,  at 
another  will  be  caught  up  with  a  species  of 
malign  fury,  and,  leaping  from  mouth  to 
mouth,  will  bury  the  unfortunate  subject 
under  a  mass  of  obloquy  without  giving 
him  so  much  as  a  chance  to  protest.  Such 
proved  to  be  the  atmospheric  condition  of 
the  capital  when  the  news  came  one  morn 
ing  that  the  well-nigh  forgotten  Mrs.  Asher 
had,  without  any  warning,  commenced  a 
proces  against  the  Vicomte  de  Dindon  for 
the  recovery  of  twenty -five  thousand  francs, 
loaned  him  seven  months  ago  to  pay  his 
gambling  debts. 

Very  likely  people  had  resented  the 
suppression  of  the  story  previously,  and  now 
found  consolation  in  putting  upon  it  the 
most  serious  construction.  Besides,  what 
was  mere  rumor  then  seemed  now  estab 
lished  by  the  suit ;  and,  though  having  a 
woman  to  pay  his  debts  was  bad  enough, 
the  apparent  condition  of  the  arrangement, 
that  this  woman  should  be  foisted  upon 
them,  gave  a  sense  of  personal  injury  to 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  265 

each.  Still  again,  his  engagement  to  a 
great  heiress  had  lately  raised  him  into  a 
position  of  prominence  from  which  his  fall 
would  be  the  more  interesting.  No  light 
fall  did  it  prove.  People  refused  to  look 
at  him  in  the  streets.  There  were  meetings 
at  his  club  to  decide  what  action  ought  to 
be  taken ;  and  his  fiancee  grew  peevish 
instead  of  grandly  heroic — the  correct 
attitude  for  a  young  woman  to  assume  when 
her  lover  is  proved  worthless.  And  yet,  so 
far  as  the  suit  goes,  I  think  the  vicomte 
was  treated  very  harshly.  Mrs.  Asher  had 
forced  upon  him  a  loan  at  a  moment  of 
great  pecuniary  embarrassment,  and  several 
times,  when  he  had  proposed  to  make 
arrangements  to  repay  it,  she  had  put  him 
off.  Though  she  had  used  him  as  the  key 
to  the  doors  of  society  he  actually  believed 
in  her  right  to  enter,  and  consequently  that 
he  was  simply  introducing  to  his  friends  a 
womau  of  superlative  attractions. 

His  position  became  intolerable,  for  not 
only  his  own  good  name,  but  his  family's, 
was  at  stake,  nor  could  any  denials  on  his 
part  remove  the  entirely  erroneous  impres- 


266  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

sion  that  his  parents  had  been  partners  to 
a  nefarious  arrangement. 

"  But  it  is  monstrous — it  is  monstrous ! " 
he  cried  in  his  despair,  as  he  began  to 
realize  how  desperate  matters  were ;  and  he 
wrote  an  impassioned  letter  to  Mrs.  Asher, 
commanding  her  to  withdraw  her  suit. 

In  ten  days,  having  received  no  response, 
and  finding  Paris  absolutely  unendurable, 
he  resolved  to  run  down  to  Nice  to  protest 
at  her  course  of  action,  and  further  to  offer 
to  pay  all  that  was  due  her,  forgetting  that 
it  was  too  late  to  pay,  and  that  it  was  his 
prestige,  not  money,  that  was  now  at  stake. 


XXXV. 

MRS.  ASHER'S 


Is  there  any  section  of  the  world  so  con- 
ducive  to  pleasure  as  the  Riviera,  whose 
head  center  is  Nice,  with  its  palm-lined 
Promenade  des  Anglais,  its  luxurious  villas, 
and  its  wide  stretch  of  azure  sea  ?  If  you 
wish  to  enjoy  yourself  riotously,  you  have 
Monte  Carlo  on  the  one  side.  If  you  wish 
to  enjoy  yourself  sedately,  you  have  Cannes 
on  the  other,  both  bathed  in  that  soft  iri 
descent  light  that  makes  of  this  land  one 
vast  Araby  the  Blest.  It  is  the  only 
locality  that  I  know  of  where  life  seems 
never  to  be  regarded  from  the  standpoint 
of  its  painful  duties  —  and  as  the  vicointe 
glided  in  the  luxurious  train  along  that 
sunlit  shore,  he  was  affected  by  its  glamour 
and  began  to  regret  that  his  mission  was 
not  more  in  harmony  with  the  surround 
ings. 

He  experienced  little  difficulty  in  dis 
covering  the  villa  where  Mrs.  Asher  had 


268  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

taken  up  her  abode.  As  on  his  first  visit 
eight  months  before,  he  was  informed  that 
she  was  at  home.  Again  the  same  sensu 
ous  odor  of  hothouse  flowers  assailed  him 
on  entering  her  drawing  room,  and  again 
she  allowed  the  atmosphere  of  her  entou 
rage  to  work  its  effects  upon  him  by 
keeping  him  waiting. 

Much  the  same  surroundings,  mutatis 
mutandis,  must  the  old  Greek  poet  have 
had  in  his  mind  when  he  depicted  the 
home  of  Circe.  Much  the  same  view  must 
he  have  had  in  his  mind's  eye  as  was  to  be 
enjoyed  from  her  windows,  and  much  the 
same  thoughts  as  those  of  Circe  must  have 
been  in  the  lady's  mind  when  she  came 
in  to  meet  the  vicomte. 

"  Ah !  Ulysses  has  returned,"  she  laughed 
softly,  and  she  received  him  as  if  honor, 
reputation,  the  world's  opinion  were  as 
naught.  But  the  vicomte  had  come  down 
to  protest;  and,  though  the  subtle  influ 
ence  of  her  presence,  like  some  baleful 
poison,  was  stealing  over  him,  protest  he 
must. 

"  But  it  is  nefarious — it  is  nefarious,"  he 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  269 

cried,  and  lie  began  to  pour  out  the  torrent 
of  his  wrongs. 

She  stayed  him.  "  And  do  you — a  man 
of  the  world — complain,"  she  asked,  "  at  a 
woman's  pretext  to  regain  one  she  loves  ?  " 

The  vanity  of  the  vicomte  was  his  weak 
point. 

"  And  you  love  me  ?  "  he  asked. 

The  lady  sighed  as  she  plucked  the 
petals  from  a  rose.  It  was  at  this  most 
inopportune  moment  that  the  portieres  of 
a  side  door  parted  and  Signor  de  Maraco- 
vini  appeared  upon  the  scene.  Nothing  is 
more  disagreeable  than  such  an  interruption. 
The  intruder  being  without  hat  or  gloves, 
and  coming  from  the  mystery  of  inner 
sanctuaries  proclaims  by  his  presence  domi 
ciliary  rights  that  even  to  an  ex-lover  is 
extremely  distasteful.  Mrs.  Asher  had 
carefully  planned  his  entrance. 

The  vicomte  rose  and  surveyed  him  with 
infinite  hauteur. 

"  I  will  renew  this  interview,  madame, 
when  I  can  enjoy  the  privilege  of  seeing 
you  alone,"  he  said,  in  his  jerky  way. 

Signor  de   Maracovini  grinned  affably, 


270  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

and  then  skipped  over  to  the  window, 
where  he  stood  looking  out  upon  the  sea 
and  twirling  his  mustache.  Mrs.  Asher 
rose  and  followed  the  vicomte  to  the  door. 
As  he  was  going  out,  she  whispered  in  her 
most  seductive  tones,  "  Come  for  me  this 
evening  at  eight  o'clock  and  take  me  to 
dine  at  the  Cafe  Biche  ;  don't  decide  now, 
but  write  me  at  the  last  moment  I  will 
do  anything  you  ask." 


XXXVI. 

"THE  TRUE  WOMAN  SPEAKS  AT  LAST." 

How  extraordinary  are  the  inconsisten 
cies  of  man  where  woman  is  concerned  ! 
Why  I  have  heard  of  men  actually  break 
ing  their  vows  to  their  wives  for  other 
women's  sakes — let  alone  vows  that  have 
not  yet  been  solemnized  by  marriage.  Not 
that  the  vicomte  was  going  to  break 
the  troth  he  had  so  recently  plighted — not 
he;  on  the  contrary,  he  had  come  down 
here  to  confirm  it  by  making  this  woman 
withdraw  charges  that  tended  to  weaken 
his  hold  upon  his  fiancee.  He  loved  her 
— I  mean  his  fiancee — he  also  pitied  her 
for  what  she  was  enduring  for  his  sake. 
But  what  in  the  name  of  the  devil  and  the 
seven  sins  gave  that  Sardinian  the  run  of 
Mrs.  Asher's  house  ?  The  inconsistency  in 
this  case  being  that  a  man  who  has  thrown 
over  a  woman  for  some  other  woman's  sake, 
considers  he  has  still  the  right  to  criticise, 
if  not  control,  the  former's  actions. 

271 


272  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

It  was  five  o'clock,  and  he  wandered  dis 
consolate  up  and  down  the  Promenade  des 
Anglais,  firmly  resolved  that  he  would  not 
take  her  to  dine.  At  last,  however,  the 
temptation  to  speak  his  mind  to  her,  to 
show  the  depth  of  his  contempt  and  hatred, 
in  fact,  to  fulfill  the  purpose  of  his  com 
ing  hither,  in  the  execution  of  which  he  had 
been  interrupted,  proved  irresistible ;  and, 
as  it  generally  happened  with  the  vicomte 
when  he  firmly  made  up  his  mind  to  do  or 
not  to  do  a  thing,  at  the  last  moment  he 
changed  his  mind,  and  did  the  reverse.  So, 
he  wrote  that  he  would  meet  her  at  the 
cafe  she  had  indicated. 

Mrs.  Asher  proved  her  thorough  knowl 
edge  of  his  character  when  she  insisted 
upon  leaving  his  decision  upon  her  invita 
tion  till  the  last  moment.  She  also  showed 
her  knowledge  of  human  nature  when  she 
selected  a  tete-a-tete  dinner  as  the  occasion 
for  receiving  his  reproaches.  Just  as  may 
be  your  resentment,  firmly  resolved  as  you 
may  be  to  express  it,  it  is  extremely  diffi 
cult  to  sit  down  to  table  with  a  beautiful 
woman  and  deliberately  begin  a  dispute. 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  273 

Ordinary  courtesy  compels  you  to  post 
pone  the  attack  from  one  course  to  another, 
till  there  is  danger,  if  the  chef  has  done 
his  duty,  that  the  satisfaction  of  a  refined 
and  happy  repletion  dispels  your  wrath. 

Yes !  Mrs.  Asher's  expedient  was  a 
happy  one.  Besides  the  original  grievance 
a  new  source  of  irritation  to  the  vicomte 
had  arisen,  which  diverted  just  so  much 
animus  from  the  complaint  he  had  brought 
down  from  Paris.  I  mean  the  irritation 
caused  by  meeting  Signor  de  Maracovini 
in  her  house. 

Never  did  Mrs.  Asher  exert  so  much 
effort  to  be  agreeable,  and  never  did  she 
succeed  better.  Though  the  vicomte  made 
several  attempts  to  speak  of  his  two-fold 
annoyance,  she  turned  him  aside  like 
a  skillful  fencer.  It  was  not  till  he  had 
left  her,  and  the  spell  of  her  charm  was 
broken,  that  the  real  enormity  of  his  con 
duct  was  realized ;  then  bitter  shame — 
shame  for  himself — shame  for  the  disgrace 
he  had  brought  upon  his  innocent  family — 
assailed  him.  For  people  who  knew  him 
had  seen  him  dining  in  her  company ;  and 


274  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

they  would  infallibly  proclaim  the  fact  to 
the  world. 

Fate  waits  like  a  cat  to  make  her  spring 
successful.  Arrived  at  his  hotel,  he  found 
a  telegram  from  his  father,  announcing  that 
his  fiancee  had  decided  to  be  no  longer 
bound  by  her  engagement.  In  less  than 
twenty  minutes  afterwards,  he  was  waiting 
in  Mrs.  Asher's  boudoir,  having  insisted 
that  she  receive  him,  late  as  was  the  hour. 
Then,  when  she  presented  herself,  he  poured 
upon  her  head  his  retarded  resentment ;  and, 
with  the  eloquence  injustice  can  alone 
inspire,  showed  her  the  misery  she  had 
brought  upon  him.  As  she  listened,  his  de 
spair  touched  some  long  neglected  chord  of 
sympathy.  For  the  first  time  the  complete 
ness  of  her  work  was  revealed  to  her.  He 
stood  before  her  disgraced  in  the  sight 
of  men,  cast  off  by  the  woman  he  had 
chosen — chosen  only  when  she  herself 
had  deserted  him. — and  responsible  before 
the  world  for  involving  his  family  in  the 
common  scandal.  All  this  was  her  doing, 
and  for  what  ?  The  attainment  of  her  own 
selfish  and  unworthy  ends.  She  could 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  275 

see,  too,  that  his  vanity  made  his  position 
the  more  intolerable.  As  he  went  on,  the 
force  of  his  protestations  struck  her  with 
a  kind  of  a  terror ;  yet  there  stole  upon 
her  a  yearning  to  make  amends.  Falling 
on  his  neck,  she  confessed  the  part  that  she 
had  played,  begging  him  to  go  back  to  his 
fiancee  and  promising  to  withdraw  her  suit. 
No  acting  could  have  attained  the  same 
results,  for  the  true  woman  spoke  out. 

Her  tears  dissolved  his  anger — his  old 
passion  for  her  revived.  Never  did  she 
appear  more  beautiful;  she  was  softened  at 
last. 

"  You  can  only  make  amends  in  one  way," 
he  said.  Then  the  inconsistency  of 
the  Vicomte  reached  its  apex,  but  we  must 
remember  that  in  his  case  the  unexpected 
was  the  only  thing  to  expect.  "  You  can 
marry  me." 

"  Marry  you !"  she  cried,  astounded — 
"  never,  never." 

"  No  one  else  will  have  me  now — you 
must." 


XXXVII. 

THE   CARNIVAL     AND    THE     WHITING    ON   THE 
WALL. 

THE  wedding  was  arranged  for  the 
morrow  and  it  was  the  last  day  of  the 
carnival  at  Nice.  The  city  had  laid  her 
self  out  to  make  it  a  success ;  and  the 
ceremonies,  at  least  so  far  as  the  select  were 
concerned,  were  to  close  with  a  bal  costume 
in  the  evening. 

All  styles  and  descriptions  of  dress  were 
represented  on  her  streets  that  bright  after 
noon.  There  were  British  admirals  sport 
ing  with  Spanish  bull-fighters;  clowns  in 
the  most  approved  attire  making  eyes  at 
sober  abbesses ;  monks  were  flirting  with 
vivandeires;  and  devils,  catching  other 
devils  by  the  tails,  ceasing  their  antics  for 
a  moment  to  throw  bouquets  at  the  fair,  or 
confetti  at  the  unfair  (I  mean  the  male) 
occupants  of  the  passing  carriages. 

No  carriage  in  the  long  array  received  a 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  277 

more  flattering  tribute  of  flowers  than  did 
Mrs.  Asher's.  But  though  she  had  attained 
her  ends  a  strange  pensiveness  possessed 
her.  Eveiy  now  and  then  she  glanced  at 
the  figure  by  her  side.  Something  told  her 
he  had  already  begun  to  repent.  When 
they  returned  from  their  drive  she 
came  and  put  her  arms  about  his  neck. 
"  Are  you  sorry  you  ever  met  me  ?"  she 
asked. 

"  It  might  have  been  better  had  I  not," 
he  replied. 

"  Then  why  don't  you  leave  me  ?"  she 
asked.  "  Why  not  go  back  and  renew 
your  engagement?  I  see  you  are  not 
happy,  to-morrow  will  be  too  late." 

"  In  this  world  there  is  no  going  back ; 
we  can  only  advance." 

u  Don't  say  that !"  she  cried.  "  I  would 
like  to  feel  that  I  had  helped  you  instead 
of  harming  you." 

"  That  would  have  been  impossible  for 
you,"  he  said,  and  turned  brusquely  aside. 

That  conversation  remained  stamped 
forever  on  his  memory,  and  he  bitterly 
recalled  in  after  times  his  own  coldness. 


278  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

Mrs.  Asher  hesitated  long  that  evening 
in  arraying  herself  for  the  ball ;  remaining 
on  her  balcony,  and  looking  out  upon  the 
sea.  It  was  a  still,  beautiful  night.  The 
moon  painted  the  waves  with  silver,  and 
shed  on  the  town  a  holy  effulgence  which, 
perhaps,  it  scarcely  deserved.  Out  in  the 
offing  the  dark  hulls  of  vessels  rose  dimly 
above  the  waters,  their  lights  twinkling 
and  shining  like  little  stars.  How  many 
lives,  she  thought,  were  to  expire  in  this 
great  universe  as  those  lights  would  expire 
before  the  morning,  leaving  as  little  record 
on  the  page  of  time.  Her  softened  mood 
still  lingered  from  the  afternoon. 

It  was  exactly  ten  o'clock  when  her  maid 
presented  her  with  a  telegram.  It  broke 
abruptly  upon  her  meditations.  "  Just 
learned  that  he  reached  Rome  last  Wednes 
day  from  Cairo.  Should  he  go  on  to  Nice 
and  attempt  any  molestation,  do  not  hesi 
tate  to  act.  Will  come  if  you  advise."  It 
was  signed  "  Gr.  Charteran." 

She  staggered  back  and  would  have 
fallen  but  for  the  railing  of  the  balcony,  to 
which  she  clung,  while  a  strange,  prickling 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  279 

sensation  pierced  her  heart  like  a  thousand 
needle  points.  Her  maid  flew  to  her  side. 

"He  will  interfere  with  the  wedding." 

"  Who,  madame  ?" 

"Read  it— read  it!"  she  cried.  "All 
my  hopes  of  quiet,  all  prospects  of  happi 
ness  gone.  Often  and  often  I  wake  up  in 
the  night,  and  think  I  see  him  just  as  I 
saw  him  in  Paris.  Oh,  I  shall  go  mad  with 
it  all !  I  shall  get  to  feel  I  have  no  right 
to  live.  But  we  will  escape  him,"  she  con 
tinued,  with  a  sudden  change  of  manner, 
"  for  we  will  fly  to-night — anywhere  ;  so 
long  as  we  escape  him." 

"But  madame  really  must  calm  herself. 
There  is  no  need  to  fly  if  madame  will  only 
leave  everything  in  my  hands.  I  will 
notify  the  police.  Madame  now  has  the 
law  on  her  side.  If  he  really  follows 
madame  here,  he  places  himself  in  the  jaws 
of  the  lion.  They  will  close  upon  him ; 
and  madame  then  is  free,  with  all  the 
world  before  her — youth,  beauty,  fortune. 
AVhat  more  can  the  heart  desire — except  it 
be  to  have  Monsieur  le  Vicomte  as  a  mari 
complaisant!" 


280  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

Her  thoughts  reverted  to  the  vicomte  as 
her  gaze  again  sought  the  sea.  "  It  some 
times  seems  a  crime  to  tie  him  to  me." 

"And  why?" 

"I  would  drag  him  down  to  my  level. 
He  is  so  young,  so  hopeful." 

"  Madame  need  have  no  scruples  on  that 
score.  These  men  never  think  of  the  level 
to  which  they  bring  our  sex." 

"  I  should  like  to  raise  him." 

"  And  again,  why  not  ?  Youth,  beauty, 
fortune,  these  are  the  qualities  that  raise 
men  most  in  our  days.  But  will  not 
madame  now  allow  me  to  dress  her  ?  It  is 
getting  late." 

"  But,  I  cannot — I  cannot  go  to  the  ball 
with  this  awful  shadow  hanging  over  me. 
When  I  remember  that " 

"  Madame  must  forget.  Recollections 
are  only  good  for  crow's-feet.  Come,  the 
eyes  of  madame  are  red  and  inflamed ;  they 
must  be  kept  attractive  to  retain  our  hand 
some  vicomte.  His  own  may  begin  to 
wander,  and  madame  may  then  miss  the 
last  great  opportunity  to  rehabilitate  her 
self  before  the  world." 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  281 

"  Rachel,  you  are  right.  I  must  secure 
a  recognized  position,  if  only  to  place  my 
self  on  a  pedestal  that  raises  me  above  that 
man's  reach.  Now,  bring  me  coffee,  strong 
and  black,  and  stay,  also  a  drop  of  brandy. 
Aye,  yes !  vogue  la  galere ;  'tis  folly  to 
remember,  'tis  wiser  to  forget." 


XXXVIII. 

"THE  SIGHT  OF  HER  HUSBAND'S  FACE. 

THE  ball  was  held  in  one  of  the  large 
hotels  with  which  Nice  is  so  plentifully 
provided.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  col 
ony  of  American  exiles  mustered  in  force. 

Among  the  costumes  that  of  the  Prin 
cess  de  Xamarinda  was  the  most  charm 
ing.  She  represented  a  good  fairy,  and  with 
her  gold  wand,  her  gauze  wings,  and  her 
bewitching  smile  she  carried  the  character 
off  to  perfection. 

Lady  Summerset  de  Vere  represented 
a  young  schoolmistress.  She  looked  ex 
tremely  pretty  and  prim.  A  dozen  or  so 
of  her  admirers  were  her  pupils.  They 
were  attired  in  short  jackets,  huge  rolling 
collars,  and  short  trousers.  All  had  under 
their  arms  huge  slates,  on  which  they  kept 
writing  jests  and  jibes  against  each  other 
and  their  friends.  For  the  |most  sedate 
throw  off  the  yoke  of  conventionality  at  an 
affair  of  this  kind. 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  283 

Why  Mrs.  de  Trow  should  have  elected 
to  go  as  Lucrezia  Borgia  it  is  hard  to  say, 
except  that  of  all  conceivable  characteriza 
tions  it  was  the  most  unsuited  to  her. 
Her  husband  had  taken  the  same  descrip 
tion  of  liberty  with  the  young  Augustus. 
Possibly,  coming  so  lately  from  Rome,  they 
deemed  that  something  suggestive  of  its 
history  in  their  apparel  would  be  a  pretty 
compliment  to  the  city ;  though,  according 
to  Mrs.  de  Trow,  they  had  found  it  after 
Mrs.  Asher's  departure  "as  dull  as  a 
scandal  about  an  abstract  idea,"  which 
of  all  kinds  of  scandals  is  assuredly  the 
dullest. 

Our  old  friend  Mrs.  O'Hagan  person 
ified  Diana;  and,  when  we  remember  her 
tireless  chase  of  a  certain  great  personage 
about  Europe,  we  can  see  an  appropri 
ateness  in  the  costume. 

Mrs.  Asher  represented  fire.  Her  dress 
— a  marvel  of  ingenuity — was  slashed  up 
wards,  with  gleaming  tongues  of  satin  flame 
licking  her  corsage,  and  dying  away  in 
clouds  of  blue,  smoke-like  tulle  about  her 
milk-white  breast. 


284  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

The  Vicomte  de  Dindon  was  in  simple 
Venetian  dress,  and  the  darkness  of  his  attire 
comported  with  his  feelings.  As  he  came 
into  the  room  Mr.  de  Trow  failed  to  extend 
to  him  his  usual  effusive  welcome,  and  in 
his  conduct  the  vicomte  read  the  hopeless 
ness  of  ever  retrieving  his  position. 

For  Mr.  de  Trow  was  a  very  thermometer 
of  the  social  temperature  ;  and  his  manner, 
like  mercury,  rose  and  fell  in  sympathy 
with  the  public  sentiment — showing  that 
our  de  Trows  have  their  uses  after  all.  It 
was  the  young  man's  first  appearance  in 
anything  approaching  society  since  his 
engagement  had  openly  been  broken  off. 
He  who  had  been  so  accustomed  to  the 
smiles  of  the  world  !  Ah  !  curse  the  world 
and  its  puppets  !  No  one  else  should  have 
the  chance  to  cut  him,  and  offering  his  arm 
to  Mrs.  Asher,  he  defiantly  led  her  through 
the  rooms,  addressing  no  one,  and  by  no 
one  addressed. 

The  spirit  of  the  old  Latin  Saturnalia, 
of  which  this  species  of  entertainment 
lingers  as  a  relic,  was  returning.  With 
the  advance  of  the  evening  the  dancing  be- 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  285 

came  more  pronounced,  and  it  was  objected 
that  the  dividing  line  between  the  great 
and  the  demi-monde  had  not  been  strictly 
observed  in  the  sale  of  tickets.  Certainly 
people  whose  characters  were  question 
able  began  to  appear,  and  the  render 
ing  of  quadrilles  insensibly  to  glide  into 
a  style  more  peculiar  to  the  fetes  of 
Bougival. 

Immediately  after  supper  most  of  the 
ladies  I  have  mentioned  departed ;  and, 
what  with  the  champagne  and  the  Strauss 
music  the  entertainment  verged  closely  on 
the  indecorous. 

Mrs.  Asher  and  her  companion  lingered 
till  two  o'clock.  The  strains  of  the  music 
still  floated  in  her  memory,  and  she 
hummed  the  airs  as  she  drove  home  through 
the  darkened  streets.  The  vicomte  was 
still  gloomy  and  preoccupied ;  consequently, 
he  failed  to  notice  when  he  rang  the  bell 
that  the  latch  of  her  porte-cochere  was 
drawn  back,  and  the  door  open  by  a  quarter 
of  an  inch.  At  the  portals  he  left  her ;  for, 
she  had  insisted  that  the  proprieties 
be  rigidly  kept  between  them.  Thus 


286  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

Mrs.  Asher  entered  alone,  and  the  vicomte 
saw  the  dark  doors  close  upon  her. 

His  own  lodgings  were  not  far  away ;  and, 
though  still  arrayed  in  costume,  he  resolved 
to  walk,  in  order  to  get  a  breath  of  air. 
Yet  some  indefinable  instinct  held  him, 
now  looking  back  at  the  house,  and  again 
at  his  carriage  disappearing  in  the  gloom  ; 
for  the  moon  had  long  since  set,  and  the 
few  lamp-posts  scarcely  illuminated  the 
street.  At  last  he  started  for  his  hotel. 
The  music  of  her  voice  was  in  his  ears,  and 
the  perfume  of  her  lips  on  his  as  he  walked 
on.  He  had  gone  about  a  hundred  yards, 
when  a  figure  detached  itself  from  the 
darkness  and  approached  him.  It  was  not 
until  the  stranger  drew  quite  near,  that  the 
vicomte  recognized  the  uniform  of  a  ser- 
gent  de  mile. 

"  Pardon ;  has  monsieur  just  left  .  No. 
13  ?"  inquired  the  officer. 

"  And  what  is  that  to  you  ? "  replied  the 
vicomte  brusquely. 

"  Because  I  am  watching  that  house,  and 
am  directed  to  arrest  anyone  loitering  about 
it." 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  287 

"  You  are  directed  to  arrest  anyone  loit 
ering  about  that  house?"  replied  the 
vicomte  in  supreme  surprise. 

"  Such  are  my  orders,  monsieur,  unless 
I  am  satisfied  concerning  their  intentions. 

"  I  am  the  Vicomte  de  Dindon.  I  have 
just  brought  madame  back  from  the  ball, 
and  am  returning  to  my  hotel." 

"  OIi,  pardon ;  I  did  not  recognize  mon 
sieur  at  first.  I  know  him  well.  I  might 
have  supposed  it  was  he  who  drove  up  in 
that  carriage  ;  but  it  was  so  dark  I  could 
not  distinguish." 

"  And  who  gave  you  these  orders  ?  " 

"They  came  from  headquarters,  mon 
sieur.  I  suppose  I  may  as  well  Inform 
monsieur.  Indeed  I  do  not  know  but  it 
is  my  duty  to  do  so.  It  was  in  this  way. 
About  three  or  four  hours  ago,  a  woman 
describing  herself  as  the  maid  of  Madame 
Asher  arrived  at  the  Mairie,  and  was 
closeted  with  the  commissaire  de  police. 
After  she  had  gone,  I  learned  that  she  had 
demanded  protection  for  her  mistress ; 
and  asked  that  one,  or,  if  possible,  two 
policemen  should  be  immediately  detailed 


288  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

to  patrol  her  house.  What  with  the  car 
nival  and  the  extra  force  of  men  required 
at  the  ball,  there  was  some  delay  in  send 
ing  anyone  here.  I  have  been  at  my  post 
less  than  an  hour." 

"It  is  very  odd,"  replied  the  vicomte, 
"  that  no  mention  of  this  was  made  to  me. 
If  you  will  return  with  me,  I  will  try  to 
learn  the  cause  of  such  a  request." 

They  retraced  their  steps. 

"  It  was  probably  because  madame  feared 
for  her  diamonds.  This  carnival  has 
brought  many  thieves  to  the  city." 

"  Perhaps  so ;  and  yet,  when  I  let  madame 
in,  the  front  door  was  unlatched.  I  quite 
forgot  the  circumstance  till  this  minute." 

"But  it  is  closed  now,"  said  the  ser- 
gent,  pushing  against  the  heavy  portals; 
"  and  it  seems  a  pity  to  wake  the  house 
hold.  Madame  will  have  retired  too." 

"I  suppose  so." 

"Therefore  monsieur  had  better  wait 
till  the  morning.  I  am  to  remain  outside 
until  daybreak." 

The  vicomte  looked  up  at  the  house, 
from  which  not  a  ray  of  light  shone. 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  289 

"Well,"  he  said  at  last,  "I  suppose  I 
can  leave  things  in  your  hands ;  but  stay, 
what  is  that  ? "  He  stopped  and  listened. 

"  What  is  what,  monsieur  ? " 

"I  thought  I  heard  something  like  a 
subdued  scream." 

"  I  heard  nothing." 

"  Hush !  there  it  is  again,"  whispered 
the  vicomte. 

" Diable,  I  think  I  heard  it  myself; 
besides,  they  are  moving  inside.  Lights 
are  beginning  to  show  at  the  windows,  as  if 
something  were  happening.  We  must  ring." 

They  rang — a  loud  peal ;  no  answer. 
Again  and  again  they  pulled  the  iron  han 
dle  of  the  bell  rope. 

"Where  can  the  concierge  be?"  mut 
tered  the  sergent. 

"  Knock  on  the  door  with  the  butt  of 
your  sword,"  cried  the  vicomte.  "I  am 
sure  all  is  not  well." 

"  Diable,  why  don't  they  come  ?  I  hear 
that  scream  again.  Open !  open  in  the 
name  of  the  law ! " 

They  try  to  force  the  portals ;  they  ham 
mer  ;  they  ring ;  thoroughly  alarmed,  they 


290  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

shout  aloud  for  entrance.  Lights  are  dart 
ing  about  within,  as  from  lamps  hurriedly 
borne  past  windows ;  but  why,  why  does 
no  one  answer  the  summons  ?  Then  above 
them  a  casement  is  burst  open,  and  a  head 
emerging,  a  female  voice  cries  aloud :  "Au 
secours!  au  secours!  they  are  murdering 
my  mistress ! " 

"  Assistance  is  here,"  shouted  the  vicomte 
in  reply.  "I,  the  Vicomte  de  Dindon — 
you  know  me — with  the  police.  Open 
the  door,  in  the  name  of  Grod." 

"I  come — I  come,"  was  answered,  and 
the  head  withdrew. 

And  now,  between  the  confused  criel 
above  and  below,  there  came  through  the 
opened  window  wild,  agonizing  screams — 
screams  that  turned  the  blood  cold,  and 
that  pierced  like  as  many  knife-thrusts  the 
night  air.  At  last  the  door  is  opened  by 
the  woman.  They  follow  her  through 
the  porte-cochere  and  into  the  house,  where 
they  find  the  servants,  in  the  scantiest 
costumes,  huddled  together  in  the  hall. 
"  Cowards !  they  had  not  even  the  courage 
to  let  you  in,"  cried  their  conductress. 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  291 

"The  assassin  must  have  entered  when  I 
was  away  to  the  Mairie ;  he  must  have 
passed  by  that  imbecile  asleep  in  his  chair," 
and  she  flung  a  contemptuous  glance  at  a 
quaking  footman. 

"But  hurry,  hurry,  or  you  will  be  too 
late.  Upstairs — to  her  boudoir.  You 
know  the  way,  Monsieur  le  Vicomte ;  she  is 
locked  in." 

"  Follow  me,"  cried  the  vicomte. 

"On,  on,"  cried  the  sergent,  with  his 
sword  drawn;  and  they  rushed  up  the 
stairs,  which,  as  in  spacious  French  houses, 
made  a  wide  semicircular  sweep  to  the 
upper  floor.  They  had  just  reached  this 
landing  when  the  door  of  the  boudoir 
was  flung  open  and  a  tall,  angular  figure 
emerged. 

So  unexpected  was  the  advent,  so  un 
usual  the  appearance,  that  for  an  instant 
they  stopped  as  if  an  apparition  were  bar 
ring  their  progress.  For,  though  wild  and 
unkempt  looking,  there  was  something 
intensely  pathetic  in  the  gaze  of  the  in 
truder — something  even  noble  in  his  mien 
as  he  stood  there  in  the  uncertain  light. 


292  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

"  Assassin !  assassin  ! "  they  shouted. 

"  She  is  dead,"  he  answered.  "  But  con 
science  is  her  only  assassin.  For  months  I 
have  followed  her " 

"  And  why  ? "  interrupted  the  vicomte. 

"  To  try  to  wean  her  from  her  present 
life." 

"  Seize  him  ! "  cried  the  vicomte.  "  He 
must  be  a  maniac." 

"  Yes,  I  am  a  maniac ;  for  I  supposed,  if 
I  could  see  her  but  once,  I  could  explain 
the  past." 

They  flock  into  the  apartment  from 
which  the  man  has  just  emerged,  and  find 
her  whom  they  seek,  lifeless  on  the  floor. 
The  vicomte  and  her  attendant  drop  on 
their  knees  beside  her.  "Turn  on  the 
lights — higher,"  he  cried.  "Someone  go 
for  a  physician." 

"  No  use — no  use — all  is  over."  It  is 
the  attendant  who  speaks ;  and  then,  burst 
ing  into  tears :  "  Oh,  Monsieur  le  Vicomte, 
this  is  the  dispensation  of  God.  It  was  the 
sight  of  her  husband's  face  that  she  could 
not  meet." 


XXXIX. 

MB.    DE   TROW   RISES    TO    THE   OCCASION    AND 
SECURES   MRS.     ASHEfi's   CHEF. 

"You  could  have  knocked  me  down 
with  a  feather,"  cried  the  young  Augustus 
to  his  Lucretia  next  morning,  when  discuss 
ing  the  occurrences  of  the  past  night  with 
his  wife.  "  You  see,  he  turns  out  to  be  her 
husband,  and  he  has  been  pursuing  her 
over  the  world." 

"  O  Percival,  I  fear  you  would  never 
pursue  your  wife  so  enthusiastically." 

"I  am  not  a  lunatic,"  retorted  Mr.  de 
Trow,  with  deeper  irony  than  he  intended, 
and  then  continuing,  "  but  what  principally 
strikes  me  about  the  whole  affair  is  its  emi 
nent  bad  form.  Imagine  the  class  of  life 
to  which  this  creature  must  have  belonged 
to  have  made  it  possible  even  in  his  aberra 
tion  to  have  behaved  as  he  did." 

"  But  his  great  love,  Percival,  redeems 
his  conduct.  Do  you  know,  I  have  some 
times  felt  that  I  could  die  happy  if  a  man 

293 


294  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

would  only  pursue  me  with  a  flaming 
sword.'* 

"  There  was  no  flaming  sword.  He 
broke  into  her  house  to  induce  her  to  go 
home  with  him,  and  frightened  her  to 
death — that  is  all,"  retorted  Mr.  de  Trow 
snappishly. 

"But  there  was  true  romance  in  that 
man's  soul.  Yes,  I  insist  upon  it,  Percival, 
misguided,  misdirected,  as  his  conduct  may 
seem  to  you,  there  was  his  grand  passion 
to  redeem  it.  O  Percival ! "  she  volubly 
went  on,  "have  you  never  felt  that  good 
form,  as  you  call  it,  is  the  sepulcher  of 
affection,  and  that  tragedy,  real,  true,  soul- 
inspiring,  heart-thrilling  tragedy,  will  find 
its  grave  in  fashion  ?  No,  Percival,  better 
a  world  of  savages — better  a  land  of  Hot 
tentots,  where  all  go  about  with  hats  and 
sandals  only — than  the  flabby,  conscience 
less  callaosity  of  what  modern  society  calls 
affection." 

"  What's  callaosity  ? "  inquired  Mr.  de 
Trow  unappreciatingly. 

"I  can't  explain  exactly,  Percival.  In 
fact,  I  invented  the  word  to  express  some- 


PKTBNDB  IN  EXILE.  295 

thing  I  can  only  feel — for  what  you  con 
sider  as  quixotic  strikes  me  as  heroic,  and 
I  recognize  that  were  all  the  world  like 
you,  Othello  would  never  have  drowned 
Desdernona." 

"  I  suppose  you  mean  that  Othello  would 
never  have  smothered  Desdemona,"  replied 
monsieur  in  great  disgust.  "  If  you're 
going  to  quote,  I'd  advise  you  to  get  things 
straight." 

"It's  straightness  robs  modern  society 
of  its  interest.  Starch  and  prunella,  stiff 
collars  and  primness — bah  !  I  despise  it. 
But  I  see  you're  angry ;  so,  as  I  really  don't 
want  to  quarrel  with  you,  Percival,  we'll 
change  the  subject.  Pray  tell  me  what 
they  have  done  with  this  poor  creature. 
Though  all  the  world  sneers,  I  can  feel  for 
him." 

"  He  is  where  he  ought  to  have  been  all 
along  —  in  a  strait-jacket.  I  hope  he'll 
remain  there,"  continued  the  gentleman 
stolidly.  "  It's  a  little  too  bad  having  a 
quiet  town  disturbed  in  such  a  manner  and 
everyone's  nerves  shaken  up  so." 
-  The  lady  sighed ;  then  with  a  subtle  dif • 


296  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

ference  of  intonation,  she  pensively  con 
tinued  :  "  Of  course,  I'm  deeply  pained  at 
this  terrible  event,  and  feel  as  sadly  as  any 
one  for  this  unhappy  woman  cut  off  so 
suddenly  in  her  prime.  But  things  being 
as  they  are,  we  must  bow,  Percival,  to  the 
inevitable  ;  consequently,  there  is  a  sugges 
tion  I  should  like  to  make — that  is,  if  you 
promise  me  first  that  you  won't  consider  it 
cold  or  unfeeling." 

"  I  cannot  very  well  promise  you  what  I 
shall  think  of  it  till  I  hear  what  it  is," 
replied  Mr.  de  Trow  with  unanswerable 
logic. 

"  Well,  my  suggestion  is  that  we  should 
be  on  the  alert  to  engage  her  cook.  You 
know  he  was  reputed  the  best  chef  in 
Paris,  and  I  feel  sure  the  applications  for 
him  will  be  without  number." 

"I  have  already  done  so,"  replied  Mr. 
de  Trow,  with  an  air  of  conscious  pride. 
"  Immediately  I  heard  of  the  occurrence,  I 
sent  around  and  concluded  a  bargain  with 
him." 

"That  was  truly  considerate  of  you, 
Percival."  Then,  more  sentimentally,  "  Do 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  297 

you  know,  Percival,  I  have  ofttimes  thought 
that  there  existed  some  subtle  affinity  be 
tween  the  hearts  and  the  palates  of  men." 

"  Not  a  bit  more  than  between  those  of 
women,"  interjected  de  Trow. 

"  And  the  very  first  person  we  must  ask 
to  dine,"  continued  the  lady,  heedless  of 
the  interruption,  "is  the  vicomte.  Poor 
fellow — he  must  sadly  need  consolation. 
Go  around  to-day,  this  very  morning,  Per 
cival,  and  leave  your  card.  Be  kind  to  him, 
Percival ;  cheer  him  up,  and  let  him  feel 
that  he  has  friends  at  least  in  us,"  and 
through  the  lady's  fervent  imagination 
floated  the  idea  that  in  the  natural  course 
of  events  the  young  man  might  take  his 
place  in  the  flock  after  all. 

To  do  the  vicomte  justice,  the  blow  was 
a  severe  one.  He  was  one  of  the  kind  that 
nurtures  grief  and  feeds  on  it.  His  gloomy 
mien,  as  he  daily  walked  the  Promenade 
des  Anglais,  invariably  attracted  attention. 

"  There  is  constancy  for  you — oh,  if  I 
had  a  lover  like  that ! "  and  the  speaker, 
the  youthful  wife  of  a  crabbed  old  grocer, 
sighed  with  a  sigh  that  might  have  inspired 


298  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

Zola  with  the  idea  for  a  new  realistic 
romance,  or  Ibsen  with  a  fresh  moral. 
Indeed,  there  was  something  especially 
piquant  to  the  French  imagination  in  the 
whole  situation.  What  a  beautiful  picture 
too  for  other  young  men  to  model  their 
lives  on  !  Had  he  been  already  married 
his  regret  would  have  been  regarded  as 
commonplace,  but  now  it  was  full  of  color, 
full  of  true  nobility  and  of  poetry.  So  the 
public  sentiment  toward  the  vicomte  began 
to  change,  at  least  on  the  part  of  the 
women,  and  of  the  poorer  classes  of  the 
people,  who  have  this  in  common  that  they 
never  take  a  middle  course,  but  are  always 
either  stoning  or  worshipping  their  betters. 


XL. 

REFLECTIONS     OF     AN    AMERICAN     DIPLOMAT 
ON    THE    EVE    OF    HIS   RESIGNATION. 

AND  what  has  become  during  all  this 
interval  of  our  good  friend  Judge  Jackson  ? 
Why,  simply  he  has  been  paying  the  too 
frequent  penalty  of  a  visit  to  the  Eternal 
City.  Having  suffered  from  a  severe 
attack  of  Roman  fever,  he  is  only  now  able 
to  sit  up  and  read  the  papers. 

"Martha,  let's  go  back  to  Dianapolis," 
he  exclaimed  one  morning,  throwing  down 
the  copy  of  Galignani's  Messenger,  which 
gave  a  detailed  account  of  the  events  last 
recorded.  "  There's  a  purity  and  sim 
plicity  about  life  there  that  we  look  in 
vain  for  here.  Indeed,  what  you  once 
observed  about  our  not  fitting  in  here  has 
lately  appealed  to  me  with  more  force  than 
ever ;  and,  if  you're  willing,  I'll  hand  in  my 
resignation  at  once." 

The  kindly  face  of  the  lady  lighted  up, 
and  two  tears  shone  in  her  eyes  like  spark 
ling  rain  drops  in  an  April  sky.  She 

299 


300  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

caine  and  put  her  arms  about  her  husband's 
neck. 

"I  have  been  very  unhappy  lately, 
Samuel,  but  I  am  now  repaid  by  what  you 
say.  It  isn't  that  I  desire  to  cavil  at  Euro 
pean  society.  It  isn't  that  I  esteem  myself 
above  others,  but  I  believe  that  each 
country  is  best  for  its  own  people  to  live 
in.  Judging  from  what  I've  seen,  those 
that  live  out  of  their  own  are  too  apt  to 
acquire,  if  not  the  vices  of  the  people  they 
abide  among,  at  least  their  follies ;  and, 
having  broken  all  their  own  home  ties, 
they  never  acquire  fresh  ones." 

"  Martha,  you've  put  the  case  in  a  nut 
shell.  Americans  in  Europe  are  Americans 
in  exile.  I  might  even  add — the  ministers 
and  representatives  we  send  out  here  are 
often  in  the  same  boat.  The  fact  of  the 
matter  is  with  the  development  of  Amer 
ican  interests  in  Europe  we  ought  to  have 
a  regularly  trained  diplomatic  service. 

I  see  things  straighter  now  and  Petti- 
grew  is  right  in  what  he  has  always  claimed. 
There'll  be  some  terrible  blunder  committed 
one  of  these  days  from  which  the  country 


FRIENDS  IN  EXILE.  301 

will  suffer — I  came  near  making  one  my 
self.  Why  if  your  going  to  build  a  wall 
around  your  backyard — you  don't  confide 
the  job  to  a  man  who  has  never  laid  bricks. 
No,  Martha,  the  United  States  is  destined  to 
play  a  pretty  big  part  in  the  world  and  it's 
only  a  matter  of  time  before  Washington 
will  see  the  matter  in  the  right  light.  As 
for  me,  however,  this  diplomatic  business 
would  never  have  suited  me.  Even 
now  I  long  for  the  bustle  and  move 
ment  of  home  politics,  and  I  feel  that 
I  can  no  longer  resist  the  temptation  of 
going  and  looking  up  that  nomination  to 
the  governorship.  After  that " 

"And  after  that,  Samuel?" 

"If  you'll  put  down  your  ear,  I'll  tell 
you  a  secret,  Martha." 

The  lady  did  as  she  was  bid.  "And 
after  the  governorship,  there's  the  presi 
dency.  I've  known  stranger  things  to  hap 
pen  than  the  one  leading  to  the  other." 

"And  would  you  be  happier,  Samuel,  in 
the  White  House?" 

"  Oh — it  isn't  for  myself  I  am  thinking 
as  much  as  for  you." 


302  FRIENDS  IN  EXILE. 

"Forme?" 

"  Yes,  there'a  an  eminent  fitness  in  your 
becoming  the  first  lady  in  the  land.  For 
I  confess  I  want  to  let  the  world  see 
a  specimen  of  perfect  womanhood,  and  to 
enshrine  in  the  hearts  of  future  genera 
tions,  with  the  name  of  Martha  Washing 
ton,  that  of  Martha  Jackson — my  wife  !" 

THE   END. 


ULU  itii 

QATE-DtJE 


PHINTCO  IN  U.S.«. 


PSJ  199  B13F7 
Bryce,  Lloyd 
.1917. 
Friends  in  exile 


1899 
Stevens, 


1851- 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


AA    001  149370    7 


1210  00341  3463 


